[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

The oil flows and flows and flows a



Subject: The oil flows and flows and flows above Politics

Isnt it extraordinary how gas and oil energy resources seem today to be
above international politics and disputes of the day. The borders close,
the world stops moving, but the oil and gas flows on and on and on
between the bandits unless it is stopped, but how? It isnt stopped, not
now, and not tomorrow. Not yet. And thats what keeps the junta in place.
Its not a secret to anyone. But here it is put right in your face, and
still there is no signficiant international movement to stop TOTAL and
the pipeline apart from toothless EU resolutions.




"Commenting on a report that Burma has allowed only petrol to pass the
sealed frontier, Chuan said
that was happening because Burma had no oil for its own consumption."

 
> India asked to give safepassage aid
> THE Royal Thai Navy has asked India for safe passage for returning
> Thai vessels currently in Burmese waters as Burma has sealed off its
> territorial waters to Thai fishing boats, an informed source at the
> Naval Operation Centre said yesterday.
> The Thai military attache in India has forwarded a request to the
> Indian Navy to permit Thai vessels in waters off Burma's Rakhine
> province to sail through Indian waters on their return home.
> ''The Navy has drawn up a contingency plan to assist the Thai vessels
> in returning to Thailand, now that Burma has closed its territorial
> waters to our fishing vessels,'' the source told The Nation.
> ''We are worried that some vessels which are now fishing deep in
> Burmese waters, as in Rakhine, will be unable to return in time to
> meet the deadline. If they cannot make it, they could pass through
> Indian waters before sailing into Thai territory.''
> The contingency plan was mapped out following Burma's cancellation of
> fishing licences for Thai fishing boats from last Wednesday. The
> Burmese have issued a grace period until Tuesday for vessels which
> fishing deep in its seas to pass out of its territorial waters.
> Rangoon claims that it wants to review the licence-granting system, as
> well as get internal security under control following the occupation
> of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok by five heavily armed Burmese
> students.
> It says it will reconsider the licences for the Thai boats when it
> completes the review and the security situation returns to normal.
> The source said that before the closure was announced there had been
> about 400 Thai fishing boats with legitimate licences to fish in
> Burmese waters.
> ''Most vessels have already left Burmese waters, except about 150
> which are fishing deep in Burmese territory in Rakhine. There is a
> great possibility that they will not be able to meet next Tuesday's
> deadline,'' the source said.
> About 70 vessels detained near Burma's Victoria Point, opposite Ranong
> province, have been released after Burmese authorities checked their
> licences.
> Meanwhile Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday told Thai fishermen
> and border traders suffering huge losses following the closure of
> Burmese waters and frontiers to be calm, saying the measures would
> only be temporary.
> Chuan said the relevant Thai authorities, particularly the Foreign
> Ministry and the Navy, had already been assigned to monitor the
> situation and contact Burma to clear up any possible
> misunderstandings.
> ''Thai fishermen and border traders should calm down, as the
> authorities concerned, particularly the Foreign Ministry and the Thai
> Navy, have been instructed to solve the problems,'' Chuan said.
> ''I believe that the measures implemented on the frontier checkpoints
> and waterfronts will only be temporary. [Burma] is not the same as
> democratic countries. When both sides sit down and talk, the problems
> will be solved without much delay, because traders of both countries
> have long relied on each other,'' he told reporters.
> Commenting on a report that Burma has allowed only petrol to pass the
> sealed frontier, Chuan said that was happening because Burma had no
> oil for its own consumption.
> Burma's sealing off of all Thai-Burmese border checkpoints and the
> cancellation of fishing licences to Thai vessels is linked to
> Thailand's handling of the seizure of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok
> last week.
> After 26 hours of negotiations, five Burmese student activists who had
> stormed the embassy with heavy weapons were released unharmed in
> return for the release of 89 hostages. Rangoon has criticised Bangkok
> for releasing the hostage-takers and accused some foreign hostages of
> being involved in a conspiracy.
> The premier repeated his earlier statement that Burma was not in a
> position to criticise Thailand, because the hostage-takers had been
> Burmese.
> He went on to say that Burma had sent mixed signals, as its leaders
> had sent a letter of gratitude to the Thai government while their
> authorities were issuing orders to close the border and revoke fishing
> licences.
> Chuan said that any revocation should have been conducted in
> accordance with the agreement both sides had signed.
> Thailand will not take any countermeasures against Burma as it wished
> to settle the problem like reasonable adults, Chuan said, adding that
> the country would not, however, leave the issues unresolved.
> The premier said, without elaboration: ''What Thailand is doing right
> now to solve the problems has clearly shown [Burma] what we feel about
> the situation.''
> All three permanent checkpoints linking Thailand with Burma, in Tak,
> Ranong and Chiang Rai provinces, have been closed since Monday.
> The Nation
> ------------------------------------------------