Myanmar, Thai govts to gear up Dawei special economic zone

Published on Sunday, 16 September 2012 14:06

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Photo shows the developing project area of Dawei Special Economic Zone

Myanmar and Thai governments will make ‘contract modification’ on the Framework Agreement to accelerate the construction of Dawei Special Economic Zone Project, an official of the Supporting Working Body of the project said.

The Framework Agreement was signed on  November 2, 2010,  and that granted Italian-Thai Development Pcl (ITD) the right to develop and operate over 75 years land lease period for the Dawei Project with an associated deep sea port, industrial estate, trans-border corridor link and supporting infrastructure.

The new contract with amendments will be revised and modified the policy agreement by two governments and ITD.

“Italian-Thai Development Company was hired for a project developer initially. Now both Myanmar and Thai governments will be involving as project developers,” said the official.

Two governments are mainly joining the project as developers to assist the project financially.

The preparation works are expected to complete by the end of 2012 to be able to resume the project urgently.

After completion of project preparation, investment companies involving in the project will sign the contract with relevant government ministries.

Myanmar government on March 2012 permitted a total of 50505.0233 acres of land in Dawei district of Tanintharyi Region to establish the Dawei Special Economic Zone.

President U Thein Sein and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra signed three MOUs on his visit to Thailand last July, including  the Dawei Deep Seaport and Special Economic Zone project.

Myanmar Port Authority as authorized implementing agency and ITD on June 12, 2008 signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) relating to the implementation of a feasibility study and comprehensive project site for the Dawei Deep Sea Port and Industrial Estates Development Project.

The project contents will be for the development of a deep sea port, an industrial estate divided into six industrial zones including a residential/commercial zone with related infrastructure within the industrial estate, a connecting road and rail link to Thailand as well as oil and gas pipeline from the Gulf of Muttama to the Myanmar and Thailand border along the road and rail link.

Villagers unhappy with ITD relocation plans

August 2 | Author: Nan Thoo Lei (KIC) | Posted in Articles | Tags: Dam, Dawei Project

Ka Loat Hta villagers are dissatisfied with the Italian-Thai Company relocation plans for their village that will make way for a hydropower dam that will flood their homes and farmlands.
A villager from Ka Loat Hta told Karen News that people would have to move even though they do not want to.
“The relocation hasn’t started yet, but they [ITD] have already marked and measured our lands. For sure, the whole village will be under water because of this project. Although we don’t want to move, we have no choice.”
The hydropower dam is to be constructed near Ka Lont Hta village on the Talineya River that runs into Tanintharyi River, Ye Hsu Township in Tenasserim Division.
Ko Area, a resident from Dawei Town explained Karen News that ITD officials are now negotiating with the villagers who will be relocated or affected by the dam project.
“We’ve heard that they [ITD] will rebuild houses for villagers who are relocated to another area. Villagers say they don’t want to move. Villagers do not want to be relocated to other villages or to other areas that are far away.”
Ko Area said that ITD officials are offering compensation. Villagers will get 300,000 kyat for a rubber tree that produces rubber, 150,000 kyat for an immature rubber tree and 500,000 kyat for an acre of unworked land.
Ko Area said ITD are eager to get villagers to accept the compensation offer.
“The company officials are saying that if the villagers agree, they will get them to sign and then they will pay out the compensation.”
According to sources living in the area, villagers think the ITD compensation offer for rubber trees is too low and some villagers are demanding a higher rate. Villagers who do not want to lose their plantation are organizing themselves to protest to save their lands.
In what appears to be bad news for those villagers who refuse to move, an article in the Myanmar Alin [New Light of Myanmar], a state owned newspaper, reported that President Thein Sein, during his meeting with Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, agreed to step up efforts to finish the Dawei deep-sea port project.
The Italian-Thai Development Company is a Thai owned company that is developing the $60 billion mega Tavoy/Dawei Development Project in Tavoy, Southern Burma. The project includes a deep-sea port, a 250-square-kilometer light and heavy industrial zone, a 4,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant, and railways links to the Thai border in Kanchanaburi.

Italy,Myanmar,Thailand : RESETTLEMENT of Project Affected Villagers of DAWEI progressing for hydropower dam project

There are hopes that course of actions on the Dawei deep-sea port and economic zone will advance faster, but Ka Loat Hta-based villagers are unhappy with the Italian-Thai Development Company s (ITD) resettlement strategies for their village, a location for a planned hydropower dam venture on the Talineya River.


According to a villager, ITD is yet to begin relocating them, although it has already spotted and marked off the land. He added, For sure, the whole village will be under water because of this project. Although we don t want to move, we have no choice.

The construction of the hydropower dam will be accomplished close to the village on the Talineya River that goes into the Tanintharyi River in Tenasserim Division-based Ye Hsu Township.

The ITD officials are currently in talks with the villagers who will be moved or distressed by the dam project.

We ve heard that they ITD will rebuild houses for villagers who are relocated to another area. Villagers say they don t want to move, stated a local resident. He has revealed that the villagers will be given 300,000 kyat (almost US$ 3,530) for a matured rubber tree, 150,000 kyat for a young rubber tree and 500,000 kyat for per acre of unused land.

But, the villagers believe that the ITD damage payment for rubber trees is very small and a few of them are insisting on a higher price. Moreover, the villagers who are not ready to lose their cultivated area are arranging themselves for expressing their disapproval and protect their lands.

The President Thein Sein and Thailand s Premier Yingluck Shinawatra decided in July to press on endeavors in order to construct the key infrastructure for the Dawei deep-sea port project.

The Thai-possessed company -- Italian-Thai Development Company is undertaking work for the development of the $60-billion mega Tavoy/Dawei Development Project in Southern Burma s Tavoy. The project comprises building of a deep-sea port, a 250-square-kilometer light and heavy industrial zone, plus a 4,000-megawatt power facility, as well as rail connections to the Thai border in Kanchanaburi. The company is now making efforts to collect financial supports for the deep-sea port development.

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Original Link : http://www.hydroworld.com/news/2012/08/09/italy-myanmar-thailand-resettlement-of-project-affected-villagers-of-dawei-progressing-for-hydropowe.html