Just last Sunday when marches led by Buddhist monks drew thousands in Myanmar’s biggest cities Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora was in the country’s capital for the signing of oil and gas exploration contracts between state-controlled ONGC Videsh Ltd. and Myanmar’s military rulers.

The signing ceremony was an example of how important Myanmar’s oil and gas resources have become in an energy-hungry world. Even as Myanmar’s military junta intensifies its crackdown on pro-democracy protests, oil companies are jostling for access to the country’s largely untapped natural gas and oil fields that activists say are funding a repressive regime.

China Myanmar’s staunchest diplomatic protector and largest trading partner is particularly keen on investing in the country because of its strategic location for pipelines to feed the Chinese economy’s growing thirst for oil and gas.

Companies from South Korea, Thailand and elsewhere also are looking to exploit the energy resources of the desperately poor Southeast Asian country.

France’s Total SA and Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd., or Petronas, currently pump gas from fields off Myanmar’s coast through a pipeline to Thailand, which takes 90 percent of Myanmar’s gas output, according to Thailand’s PTT Exploration & Production PLC.

But investing in Myanmar has brought accusations that petroleum corporations offer economic support to the country’s repressive junta, and in some cases are complicit in human rights abuses. This week’s bloody clampdowns on protests have escalated the activists’ calls for energy companies to pull out of the country.

“They are funding the dictatorship,” said Marco Simons, U.S. legal director at EarthRights International, an environmental and human rights group with offices in Thailand and Washington. “The oil and gas companies have been one of the major industries keeping the regime in power.”

Demonstrations that started a month ago over a spike in fuel prices have become a broader protest against the military rulers. Ten people were killed in two days of violence this week. Soldiers fired automatic weapons into a crowd of demonstrators in Yangon on Thursday and occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut public Internet access Friday. The moves raised concerns the crackdown on civilians was set to intensify.

Myanmar’s proven gas reserves were 19 trillion cubic feet at the end of 2006, according to BP PLC’s World Review of Statistics. While that’s only about 0.3 percent of the world’s total reserves, at current production rates and Thailand’s contract price for gas, the deposits are worth almost $2 billion a year in sales over the next 40 years.

Things happening in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma to some extent I think because US wants military in this region to fight against terrorism. If US can establish military governments in this region then US also can sell military supply in this region and also will be profited from the oil and gas reserve of Asia. It’s a quite profitable war for US, the “War against terrorism.” The reason of this war is US thinks that a military government is better for developing countries than democratic governments to fight terrorism. But every country has its own tradition. Army can’t rule the world. Intellectuals are superior than army to take any decision for development sectors.

If we go through the history of Bangladesh army then we can see that our army or a large section of our army is greedy for power not patriotism. They are slaves of Pakistani ISI. They killed the father of the nation. Before 9/11 our army did lots of things against democracy, Yet they were not ashamed to be friends with war criminals. Should we depend to our army for peace? They are the slaves of USA .

Now the time is to face that clash. Whether we should build a democratically secular country or a colony of USA via Pakistan. As our General Moeen U Ahmed said if they receive order they will go back. Courageous. I appreciate him. But if the CTG again concentrate to other things and delay election it won’t bring any fruitful result for them and also for the country.

That reminds me of a Time magazine cover story that exposed how Asian countries are feasting on Burmese people’s blood by doing business with/therefore, bankrolling the junta:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501060130/story.html

Also noteworthy is the total silence of the Bangladeshi side on this. Though with much ado this government signed up road-linkage deals with the junta months back risking yet another influx of Rohingya refugees.

1. Who were with East Pakistan and who were with West Pakistan? We all know the camps were like BD-India-Russia v. Pak-USA.

2. Why does USA, the avatar of democracy, support military regimes in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but not in Burma? Allies in axises. After all , nothing is about democracy here — it is all about “sphere of influence.” If China and Russian were not behind Burma, USA would have been gladly feeding the junta as they are doing in ours or in Pakistan.

Zafa, thanks for a timely piece. We should definitely lend a helping hand in whatever shape or form there is… cause their pain is our pain, their anguish is our anguish, their struggle is our struggle. Also, we should learn from these geruwa-clad non-violent monks how powerful a walk can be.

Let’s keep BURMA in mind when we stand up against our version of the junta… let’s experience the power of non-violence. Let’s deter people from being destructive and have them unite under a much powerful and effective banner — steadfast in NON-VIOLENCE.

My SALUTE TO THE MONKS and PEOPLE of Myanmar/Burma.

The latest reports are that at least 200 people have been killed even though the junta has only admitted to 10 deaths.

The lead general’s family is apparently now in Thailand and other reports say some generals have sent family members to Dubai. There may be a rift developing within the army. Whether the regime falls or there is a bloodbath remains to be seen.

Let’s hope the brave people of Burma stay safe today. Burma has a leader in waiting in Aung San Suu Kyi — the embodiment of Burma’s hopes for the future. Let’s hope that future comes sooner than later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Nagai