Author Archives: mekongwatch
Dawei: Lost in Development (video)
For a 17-minute introduction to the difficulties being faced by people living around the Dawei SEZ Development Project, see the video below (with Japanese subtitles). It includes interviews with villagers who lost jobs, land, or homes.
We don’t want compensation…
“We take good care of our land. It’s thanks to the land that we can live. We don’t want compensation. Compensation doesn’t last. We can’t pass it on to our children. If we can pass on the land, we have … Continue reading
Local groups demand accountability upon Japan’s announcement of official involvement in the Dawei SEZ
On August 4th, local community groups from Dawei (southern Burma) sent a letter to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) after Japan officially announced its involvement in the … Continue reading
Japan officially joins in Dawei SEZ; Local groups raise alarm
On July 4th, at the 7th Japan-Mekong Summit held in Tokyo, Japan, Burma, and Thailand signed a memorandum of Intent (MoI) for development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone. If completed, the Dawei SEZ will be SE Asia’s largest industrial zone … Continue reading
A Year of Change–An overview of what has happened since Thilawa residents filed their official complaint to JICA
June 2015 marked a year since 3 people affected by the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Development Project filed an official complaint and request for investigation into JICA’s compliance with its Environmental and Social Guidelines. The 3 requesters claimed negative … Continue reading
6,000 residents of Mon State say “No!” to Japanese Coal-fired Power Plant
(translation of Mekong Watch Japanese blog post) In response to the rallying cry of “Coal!”, approximately 6,000 people shouted out, “No!” Holding signs saying “No Coal”, their voices grew increasingly loud. One morning in early May, I found myself surrounded … Continue reading
Mekong Watch Comments on JICA Examiner’s report on Thilawa SEZ
In Nov 2014, the JICA Examiner found that JICA was “not in non-compliance” with its safeguard policy, the Guidelines for Environmental and Social Considerations. The Examiner did, however, make many important recommendations to improve project implementation. The Examiner’s report contains … Continue reading
Thilawa Residents Criticize JICA Examiner’s Report (Dec 2014)
In November last year, a report of the JICA Examiner’s investigation into the Thilawa SEZ was released. The Examiner concluded that JICA was “not in non-compliance” with its safeguard policies. Three residents who submitted the official complaint and request for … Continue reading
“Not in non-compliance.” Result of JICA Examiner’s Investigation into Thilawa SEZ Resettlement Process
On November 4, JICA’s Examiners’ Office released its report on the findings of its first-ever investigation into a complaint filed by project affected people, and we were stunned to the repeated findings that JICA “was not in non-compliance” with its … Continue reading
Study shows Significant drop in Living Standards after Resettlement for Thilawa SEZ
This afternoon in Yangon, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), Mekong Watch and the Thilawa Social Development Group (TSDG) released a PHR report detailing the conditions of people living in the resettlement site after displacement for the Thilawa SEZ. The study … Continue reading
mekong watch: Burma/Myanmar 