Arakanese oil well workers face hardships under the Myanmar rule

In the lost Arakan to Myanmar, in Kyaukpyu twoship, there are local residents who

make living from oil extraction more than traditional forms of livelihood such as fishing

and agriculture.

Those who dig an oil well at Arakan coastline as form of livelihood have inherited from

forefathers’ tradition of oil extraction. It is legal and oil extraction sites belong to them.

They are to dig between 300 – 500 feet deep by using iron pipe on edge and connecting

plastic pipes above with scaffolds.

To complete digging, it takes nearly two months for just an oil well. There were over 2,200

oil wells work sites along the Arakan coastline but decline in the number of oil wells are

increasing day by day because China and Korea gas extractions at Arakan coastline cause diminishing of oil supply.

Every three days, local residents could extract two barrels of oil from just an oil well before

irresponsible Myanmar government sold all the natural gas to china. Now, every three days,

extraction capacity of an oil well is absolutely just one barrel therefore oil workers and their

families suffer many hardships to survive under the Myanmar rule.

The cruel Myanmar government deliberately ignores to support traditional oil wells of local residents. Moreover, intentionally attempts to demolish every oil well of local residents at Arakan coastline.

Evidences suggest that Myanmar government seizes fishing sea areas and other resources from areas near Shwe gas field.