"In 2011, Burma, also known as Myanmar, produced a variety of mineral commodities, including cement, coal, copper, lead, natural gas, petroleum, petroleum products, precious and semiprecious stones, tin, tungsten, and zinc. On March 24, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the country just north of Tachileik town in Shan State close to the border with Laos and Thailand. Production of such commodities as brine salt and some semiprecious stones dipped during the period following the earthquake, but the mineral industry in general was not affected, and mineral production overall increased for the year (table 1; CNN.com, 2011; Huffington Post, 2011). Bangladesh, Burma, and India were involved in maritime boundary disputes concerning their respective sovereignty in the Bay of Bengal. For many years, these countries had attempted to negotiate and delimit their claims in the disputed area. In December 2009, Bangladesh and Burma accepted the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the settlement of the dispute concerning their maritime boundary delimitation. at the time, although accepting ITLOS jurisdiction, the countries had not agreed on a bilateral solution regarding the delimitation principle to be used, and negotiations continued between the countries. ITLOS is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that has jurisdiction to arbitrate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Law of the Sea. UNCLOS establishes a legal framework to regulate ocean space and its resources and uses. In meetings held in January 2010, Bangladesh and Burma agreed to delimit the area by combining the equidistance and equity demarcation principles. In October, Burma and India reached an informal understanding to cooperate with each other on the settlement of their maritime dispute with Bangladesh (Durham University, 2010; International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 2010; Priyo.com, 2010). In September 2011, representatives from Bangladesh and Burma met with the ITLOS in Germany for a final round of pleadings regarding the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries. ITLOS determined that a final judgment would be delivered by March 14, 2012. Burma?s border-dispute points with neighboring Bangladesh meet at Rakhine State (Xinhuanet.com, 2011b). although Bangladesh and Burma?s maritime border dispute had gone on for several years, bilateral trade between the countries has remained at an estimated $140 million per year. The boundary delimitation dispute affected the ability of either country to grant exploration permits for oil and gas in the disputed area, however (Xinhuanet.com, 2011b). In May 2011, Italian-Thai Development Plc. (ITD), which was a construction company based in Thailand, announced that it had started to build a deep-sea port and industrial estate at a cost of $10 billion. The port was to be located in a 40,000-hectare area in Dawei, Tanintharyi Division, in southern Burma, which is located about 186 kilometers (km) west of Thailand?s capital city of Bangkok. The industrial facilities were to include oil and gas pipelines, railways, and roads. The expected commissioning date of the project was not available. In November 2010, the Government of Burma signed a 75-year concession contract with ITD, although no further details were available. The Governments of Burma and Thailand declared the project to be significant for international trade, as it would serve not only countries of Southeast Asia, but also other countries of the Asia and the Pacific region, as well as the countries of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East (BBC News, 2011). By the end of 2011, the Burmese Government announced that it was suspending the construction of the Myitsone Dam, which was originally proposed to be built in Kachin State and was to become part of a network of dams that would have provided power to southern China. The dam had a projected cost of $3.6 billion, which was to be covered by Chinese investors. The suspension of the project was mainly because of environmental concerns and pressure by the communities that would be directly affected by the structure. China had numerous contracts and investments already in place in Burma; however the Government of Burma was concerned that the suspension of the construction of the dam not affect other projects (Irrawaddy, The, 2011b; International Cement Review, 2012, p. 120)..."