Narinjara News, September 19/2024

Dredging of the Thanzit River in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan(Rakhine) State, a crucial route for Chinese oil tankers traveling to MadayIsland Port, has been causing significant environmental damage, according tolocals.

The dredging, which started in early September 2024, isbeing carried out by the South-East Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited, ajoint venture between the junta-affiliated Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE)and the Chinese state-owned South-East Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Company limited(CNPC-SEAP).

It follows a junta statement that said dredging to improvenavigation for large tankers travelling up and down the Thanzit River to MadayIsland, also in Arakan State, would be carried out from 15 July to 30September.

Though the junta banned people from fishing or using theThanzit River in Kyaukphyu Township from 7 August due to the dredging it didnot start until early September.

A former Kyaukphyu MP said: "They are dredging theThanzit River with ships and equipment starting from Maday Island. The dredginghas been ongoing since early September, using modern machinery.”

The dredging process involves removing loose soil from coralreefs, which is then transported by Chinese ships at night and dumped into thesea, causing extensive harm to the natural environment, according to a local.

He said: "Loose soil from the river dredging is beingdumped into the sea by ships, causing severe environmental damage that affectsaquatic animals and the seabed.”

U Tun Kyi, a social activist from Kyaukphyu Townshipexplained that the Thanzit River has already been dredged and negativelyaffected by tankers using the river. He warned that current dredging couldfurther threaten the river's remaining fish species and aquatic resources.

He said: "They have dredged the river before, and withongoing dredging, the remaining fish species and aquatic resources will suffereven greater damage.”

Despite the billions of dollars generated annually byChina's major oil and natural gas projects in Kyaukphyu Township, localcommunities remain impoverished and have seen no tangible benefits, accordingto environmental activists.

The Chinese government, in partnership with the junta, wantsto construct additional deep-sea ports and special economic zones in ArakanState.

Maday Island is 10 miles from Kyaukphyu Town and is theterminal for a Chinese oil pipeline that runs to Yunnan Province in China. Adeep seawater port is also planned to be built there, as part of the KyaukphyuSpecial Economic Zone. There are four villages on Maday Island, they are:Ywama, Pyein, Kyaukmawgyi, and Kyauktan.

The Arakan Army (AA) has escalated its operations inKyaukphyu Township and it already controls a large part of the townshipincluding extensive rural areas. It has encircled the junta troops stationed inKyaukphyu Town and is fighting an ongoing offensive against them. There aremany Chinese backed investment projects in Kyaukphyu Township.