[burmanet2-l] Salween Dam and the P

[dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: [burmanet2-l] Salween Dam and the People of Shan States

This is what happens when projects are allowed to get layed out and
operational like the "Yadana Development Project" consortium and other
international corporate, bank-financed special-interest shareholder
supported schemes. Look at the Yadana, since it was signed, sealed and
delivered to where its operational now. And the Thais are still fighting
it off, one way or another, making deals with it for this and that. Its
there, the gas is there, TotalFina and the other companies are heavily
invested in South East Asia, development prospects are estimated for the
next 30 years, energy requirements, population figures etc... 

Yadana should have been stopped, it was not. The Karens,Mons and other
groups suffered and are suffering, and the killing is called Genocide by
the Socialist International but Europe and England and Asia continues to 
support the junta and investment interests there. Now the Salween Dam,
which has been on the project for some time, is the next big cultural
environomental and economic disaster. It would appear that the antiOMC
protesters, representing millions of people throughout the world, want
this project reconsidered.

Will they unite to stop it?

Get this, in the past two months, the Total-Fina
-Cogema-Framatome-Alcatel gang just delivered to the Yadana founder what
he wanted, at least DSK, the disgraced finance minister, did the deal,
giving him 51 % of the military semi public company Thomson CSF, while
he keeps 10 % of the nuclear recycle, with Cogema (Total has 15% in
Cogema - the nuclear recycler giant). Tchuruk, the Yadana founder and
Alcatel CEO is delighted,and so are market investors. Now Framatome
signs a deal with Seimens, and now Seimens looks to New York, in
January, to go on the NY Stock exchange. Later,Thomsom will be sold off
too, and Tchuruk gains in cash and added stock value, some 300 million
dollars, at least. Nice, isnt it? The guy who gave Burma hell, is making
more money now than he ever dreamed, as the telecommunications sector
goes through the sky. The french x-finance minister has been his lawyer
and friend for some time now, before and after he entered the Jospin
government...  

And if you think life is going to slow down in the year 2000, forget it.
We all have to work twice as hard now than ever...Remember what Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi said on the ocassion of the Dec 10 Human Rights Day, our
freedom is embodied in our capability to demonstrate it, to use it, to
express it. We'll see what happens to the freedom factor in the next
century. 

ds 


dawn star

S.Wansai wrote:
> 
> Shan - EU News
> 
> December 13, 1999
> 
> Salween Dam and the People of Shan States
> 
> The SSA News reported that the Salween Dam project is in progress.
> According to the report, a six men team from MEC company led by major
> Paing Htwey will be in Ta Sarng (the Dam site) on the 28th of December
> 1999 for the final survey. A seven men Thai team led by Mr. Phan Phong
> arrived on 1st December 1999 and has since returned to Thailand for
> more men and equipments. Accordingly, this team will be made up of 35
> men, which will include technicians and operators. Furthermore, a 13
> men team of Burmese Geologists, led by Dr. Khin Maung Than will also
> participate in this Salween Dam project.
> 
> The report said: " The Burmese military dictators regarded the people
> of Shan States as conquered people, whom they could abused and bullied
> at will. The project is based only on their own interest, without
> caring for the welfare of the people. It is Burmanization process in
> the making and the flood from Salween Dam will surely destroy all the
> ethnic cultures, traditional way of life and historical evidences.
> Although the foreign investors claimed that there will be
> compensations for the indigenous people, little did they realized that
> these compensations will only strengthen the military junta's regime
> and no more than a few pennies will reach the indigenous people".
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------