(JICA), urging them to oppose the coal-fire power plants projects in Burma.
Representatives from regions where the proposed coal-fire projects are to be constructed went to the JBIC and JICA offices to submit the letters on November 26 and 27. The regions where the coal-fire plants have been planned include Anndin area, of Ye Township, Mon State, Nga-yot Kaung area of Nga Pu Township, Irrawaddy Division, and Thar Ya Bon area of Tenasserim Township, Tenasserim Division.
It is a great concern for locals and civil society organizations. Mainly because JICA advised the draft of future electrical power in Burma so that by 2030, 33% of electricity in Burma will come from coal-fired plants.
“The voices of locals from here are against the project completely. The banks and other stakeholders, assisting the Toyo-Thai company should listen to the locals’ voices,” said Mi Ni Mar Oo, a representative of Anndin Village, while meeting with JICA.
In the letters to JBIC and JICA, the statement “only after meeting with locals, any kind of coal fired plants should be implemented”, was included.
According to a released statement by the regions representatives, the petition letters to the JBIC and JICA were supported by 72 civil society organizations, after having discussions with locals and community based organizations.
Locals said that at the moment, the companies that have already signed momentum of understanding and agreements with the union government are trying to go ahead and implement the projects without confirmation from locals.
“If they go ahead without having agreements from locals, and implement the projects, they themselves violate their own instructions concerned with society and the environment,” according the statement.
Thus far, the government has signed momentum of understandings (MoU) and momentum of agreements (MoA) for 11 proposed projects of coal-fired plants in the country.
