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Bangkok Post News (17-3-99) (r)




French team starts pipeline inquiry Spotlight on use of Total's
investment


Nussara Sawatsawang


The French parliament has launched an investigation into the Yadana gas
pipeline project operated by Total amid growing concern about business
deals with undemocratic countries.


Marie-Helene Aubert, a French member of parliament, said yesterday a team
had inspected the project across the Thai-Burmese border, to look into
its social and environmental impact and the extent to which capital from
Total's investment had strengthened the regime in Rangoon.


The investigation of Total, a giant French oil company, is part of the
global effort by the commission. It was set up in October last year by
the French parliament in response to growing concern over the impact of
investments by global oil firms from France in foreign countries,
particularly those ruled by dictators and junta regimes. A similar
project in Cameroon is under investigation.


Ms Aubert, who heads the commission, last Thursday led a team of three
legislators to find facts in Burma and Thailand. They met Aung San Suu
Kyi, the opposition leader, Win Aung, Burma's foreign minister, Total
representatives and diplomats, and visited two Karen and Burmese-Mon
villages in Kanbauk town near the Thai border in Kanchanaburi, an area
close to the laying of the gas pipeline from the Yadana gas field.


The team on Monday tried to visit a refugee camp in Kanchanaburi but was
denied entry by Thai authorities.


Ms Aubert said the team had not found clear evidence of human rights
violations following reports local people were forcibly relocated for the
pipeline construction. But she promised to consider related accounts from
people concerned.


She also denied a report that Total and Unocal, an American oil firm in
the Yadana consortium, had financed Burmese troops to guard the pipeline,
saying the Burmese government had done so on its own.


"But what we are more interested in is whether the laying of the gas
pipeline has helped increase the role of the Burmese military," she
said.


Total is the largest investor in the project with a 31.24-percent stake,
followed by Unocal with 28.26 percent and PTT Exploration and Production
with 25.5 percent.


According to Ms Aubert, the commission will complete the report and
present it to parliament in June. She said the commission would not


recommend what the French government should do but would only present
verified information.


Pierre Brana, a team member, quoted Ms Suu Kyi as reaffirming her stance
that foreign firms should wait until Burma enjoys democracy before
investing in the country.


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<bold>Rangoon refuses to discuss sea patrol Claims no mandate to consider
surveillance

</bold>

Achara Ashayagachat

Phuket


Thailand yesterday failed to secure Burma's support for joint patrols in
the Andaman Sea but was given an assurance armed Burmese fishing boats
would not be used in future conflicts.


The conclusions were reached among military officials as part of the 17th
Thailand-Burma Regional Border Committee, which formally ends its meeting
today.


Maj-Gen Sit Maung, commander of Burma's Coastal Area Command, and Maj
Tanomsak Rodsawang of Thailand's Joint Co-ordinating Centre under the
Supreme Command Office, led the working group discussion, the minutes of
which are to be approved today by the co-chairmen of the RBC, Maj-Gen
Thein Sein, chief of Burma's Triangle Region Command and Lt-Gen Taweep
Suwanasingha, commander of the First Army Region.


The Burmese claimed they had no mandate to discuss the joint patrol, the
officials noted. But their reluctance to take up the issue is believed to
stem from Rangoon's fear of sending a wrong signal to India, its
neighbour to the west, as Burmese prime minister Gen Than Shwe indicated
this concern during his visit earlier this month.


The Burmese side also rejected a proposal to draw a "patrol line" pending
completion of border demarcation, and referred the issue to the
higher-level Joint Boundary Committee that is due to meet next month,
officials said.


But yesterday's discussions did bring some measures to defuse the tension
that has mounted over the past few months as a result of clashes off
Ranong.


Burma agreed not to use armed fishing boats for suppression operations at
sea, and to deploy them only for transporting food and oil, officials
said.


Both sides also agreed to use marine band channel 16 for contacts, and to
have naval and fishing boats fly their respective national flags.


The meeting also emphasised the need for Thai trawlers not to fish in
overlapping waters.


To promote legal fishing, the Thai delegation asked Burma to reduce
concession fees and to provide safety for those fishing legally. The
Burmese delegation took note of the request but said this was a matter
for the two countries' fisheries departments to decide.


Maj-Gen Thein Sein said the main purpose of the meeting was to strengthen
bilateral relations between the two armed forces. He played down the
recent clashes in the Andaman Sea, saying such incidents were normal for
neighbouring countries as long as there were disputed border areas. Thai
sources say the disputed waters cover some 50 nautical miles in the
Andaman.


Lt-Gen Taweep said the two sides also agreed to cooperate in drug
suppression through exchanges of information.