Lobbyists push premier to shelve Ya

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Subject: Lobbyists push premier to shelve Yadana pipeline



16 May 1997 
The Nation 
Lobbyists push premier to shelve Yadana pipeline d

OVER 200 politicians, academics, students and activists, including a Nobel 
Peace laureate, have signed a letter urging Prime Minister Chavalit 
Yongchaiyudh to call off the US$1.2 billion crossborder Yadana pipeline 
project until the ruling junta in Burma stops violating human rights. 

The letter was sent yesterday to both the prime minister and Parliament 
President Wan Mohammad Noor Matha for distribution among MPs. 

The letter asked Chavalit, who leaves today for an official two-day visit to 
Burma, to ''temporarily delay the completion of the pipeline pending 
substantial progress" in the Burmese junta's opening dialogues with 
pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic nationalities. 

It also called for progress on the guarantee of free press, freedom of speech 
and association in Burma as well as scientific studies of the environmental 
impact of all joint Thai-Burmese economic projects. 

The signatories, which included Irish Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire, who 
joined a team of fellow Nobel Peace winners visiting Thailand to campaign 
about the situation in Burma in early 1993, said the world community is aware 
that the Burmese junta has ''illegally and violently taken and maintained 
power despite the democratically-expressed wishes of its people". 

The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), they said, has 
strengthened its military might to retain political control of the country 
since the coup in 1988. ''This emphasis on military power is a threat not only 
to Burma's people, but to Burma's neighbours as well," the letter said. 

It said once the Yadana pipeline project, which will transport offshore 
Burmese natural gas from the Gulf of Martaban to Thailand, is completed, 
Thailand will pay US$400 million to its western neighbour annually, most of 
which will be used to strengthen Slorc's military power. ''This is an 
extremely dangerous situation," it said. 

It urged the Chavalit and his government, which they said has stated loyalty 
to the defence of human rights and the protection of peace in the region, and 
members of Parliament to temporarily suspend the controversial Yadana project 
for the benefit of both the Burmese and Thai people.