NETHERLANDS NOT PREPARED FOR GAS SHORTAGES: REPORT

By Janene Pieters on August 24, 2018 - 11:20https://nltimes.nl/2018/08/24/netherlands-prepared-gas-shortages-report

Milieudefensie and Groningen residents dump fracking earthquake rubble in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in The Hague, 26 Oct 2017. Photo: @milieudefensie / Twitter

The Netherlands is not sufficiently prepared to deal with the consequences of a long-term gas shortage, according to a crisis plan from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate that EenVandaag got hold of by appealing to the freedom of information act.

The crisis plan describes possible steps the Netherlands can take if gas extraction in Groningen has to be halted sooner than planned, for example due to a massive earthquake, and if the country can't get enough gas from abroad to meet the demand. The plan dates from January 2018.

Retired Myanmar Army men attend International Buddhist Conference

From 23 to 26 August, 6^th International Buddhist Conference will be held

in New Delhi, in India.

As majority of Myanmar citizens are Buddhists, Myanmar minister for religious affairs

Aung Ko is attending along with Aung Thein Nyunt. Both of them were retired men

from Myanmar Army which kills, rapes, loots and massacres minority ethnics

(non-Burma) in so-called Myanmar until right now.

It is wonderful that former members of killer, rapist, looter organization of Myanmar

represent to attend 6^th International Buddhist Conference in New Delhi on behalf of Myanmar.

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.

Water, the new oil

Water, the new oil

Water sustainability in Bangladesh RMG Industry

Mostafiz Uddin

Water will in future become more valuable than oil as rising demand from people, industries and agriculture will apply pressure on the scarce water supplies worldwide. We can live without oil as alternative green production sources become available. But we cannot live without water. Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that global warming will lead to “changes in all components of the freshwater system.” The conclusion being that “water and its availability and quality will be the main pressures on, and issues for, societies and the environment under climate change.” Wars and conflicts may even arise due to the scarcity of water.

Toxic waste of oil found in Arakan coast , western Myanmar

So many miles long toxic waste of oil found on the water surface of sea at Arakan coast

in bay of Bengal in these days. These toxic waste of oil were seen by local fishermen when

they were catching fishes in the river between the main land and Ramree Island. The sea current flowed between the main land and island carrying on its surface toxic waste of oil which is many miles in length. The ebb and flow of tide also gradually reached almost entire northern

part of Arakan coast carrying toxic waste. Some kind of big fishes are being killed by toxic waste.  Some big dead fishes strand at sea beach in Sittwe, Capital of Arakan.

There is Chinese crude oil terminal at Maday Island in Kyaukryu Township, in Arakan coast,

western so-called Myanmar. From Maday Island , crude oil pipeline starts to be end in Yunnan,

China. Similarly natural gas pipeline also was constructed parallel but natural gas pipeline begins Ramree Island, Kyaukruy Township. Two pipelines meet together at Ramree Island and from there, both pipelines run parallel to be end in Yunnan, China.

Gas released in the pipeline became operational in October 2013. The crude oil pipeline fully

operationally became by the end of 2013.These pipelines are 2,520 kilometer long. 797 Km in

Myanmar and 1,728 Km in China. Gas pipeline delivers every year 12 billion cubic metres while

The crude oil pipeline carries 22 million tones every year. The nature gas is extracted from

Arakan coast and sold to China by majority Burmese government without wills of Arakanese.

Crude oil is that China imports from Africa and middle-east into China via The lost Arakan to

Myanmar. Myanmar does not officially say how much they earn from Arakan gas and oil

pipeline but they build new capital and buy fighter jets, tanks, short range missiles and rockets

with the monies from  Arakan gas and crude oil pipeline. Arakan people get absolutely nothing.

But environment pollutions and toxic waste which Arakanese people are just to gain at all.

Oil is being unloaded from oil-ships into tanks before it is released into pipeline to reach

China from Kyaukruy once in every two or three days. Local Arakanese people believe that oil

tanks were washed at oil terminal in Maday Island and toxic waste of oil were dumped at sea.

The irresponsible Myanmar government does not care what and how badly happening in the sea. (at Arakan coast) . Yet, fishes are dying and aftermath of that, fish-eating birds like ospreys, eagles and

seagulls may die. There will be dire consequences if  legal action is not brought against the company that dumps toxic waste at sea.

Bangladesh foreign minister starts Myanmar visit on Thursday

  Senior Correspondent,  bdnews24.com
x

Published: 2018-08-09 01:07:11.0 BdST Updated: 2018-08-09 01:07:11.0 BdST

·        

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali speaks at a news briefing in Dhaka on Sunday on President Md Abdul Hamid joining a special summit of the OIC in Istanbul on Dec 13 on US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Photo: asif mahmud ove

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali will start his three-day Myanmar visit on Thursday to see the preparations there for the return of Rohingya refugees.

He left Dhaka on Wednesday night in a Singapore Airways plane, one of his aides said.

The foreign ministry earlier said Mahmood Ali will see the accommodation facilities, particularly installation of pre-fabricated houses for repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Japanese foreign minister's three nations visite

A delegation led by foreign minister of Japan Mr. Taro Kono arrived to Myanmar

via Bangkok, Thailand  by aeroplane on 5.8.2018. He was welcome by  Myanmar

officials together with  Myint Thu and Japanese ambassador to Myanmar.

Mr. Taro Kono will leave  Myanmar on 7.8.2018 for Bangladesh to visit Rohingya refugee camps. He will discuss refugee issue .

Before he leaves Myanmar for Bangladesh, he and Aung San Suu Kyi hold press conference.

At press conference, he affirms to provide assistances for developments  of Rangoon and

speaks  that peace and stability in Arakan (Rakhine State) is important for democracy in Myanmar.

On Tuesday ,he will be landing in Bangladesh  to meet Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and  have bilateral meeting with his counterpart before leaving Dhaka for Russia.

Former president’s spokesperson responds to rumour spreading on social networks

Daily Eleven

 Aug 06, 2018

Ye Htut, the former information minister, who is also the spokesperson of former president Thein Sein, responded a rumour that Mercedes were bought with the name of the previous government spreading on social networks through his Ye Htut Facebook Account.
        Status posts writing that luxurious cars including Mercedes bought by the previous government are stored in the warehouse without being used spread on the social networks starting on August 4.
        Regarding this rumour, Ye Htut wrote in his Facebook, “I hear the words from the status posts that Mercedes have to be given to the current ministers for the reason that they become rusty and their fuel quotas are sold out. Another different status post said that Mercedes are found in the warehouse. This status post appears together with the photo. It means that the previous government hid them without handing over to the new government.
        “The Central Equipment Statistics and Inspection Department records every car owned by the State. It is also known as ECC. This department previously ran under the control of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. In the current government, it runs under the control of the Ministry of Planning and Finance. In short, the ECC records every government-owned car. It has to be checked by the Office of Auditor-General. In the past, the reports on the cars from the ECC had to be presented to the government meeting once a month. The government has to keep a record of the cars from the ECC.”
        Ye Htut explained that most of the visiting cars including Mercedes were bought for the purpose of being used for the 2014 ASEAN Summit and related meetings. At that time, the parliament reduced the number cars. Following the ASEAN Summit, the parliamentarians raised the question about “Will the president and the ministers use these cars?” at the parliament. The ministers replied they did not use these cars. The ECC has to make regular checks on the cars. It has to prepare these cars for ready. If there is a plan, the ECC has to try the cars. The ECC has to prepare for reserves if cars see something inside it break down.
        When the new government starts taking office, these cars are listed on the ministry transfer. They can be used. The current government also knows that. During the current government, some cars are being used for the international meetings. We don’t hide these cars in the warehouse without using them. The heads of administrative, legislative and judicial sectors can use these cars if they are allowed by the current government. The people will decide it by themselves, Ye Htut wrote in his Facebook.

The depletion of rice stocks in Arakan

These days, the lost Arakan to Myanmar in western Myanmar feels a bit like threat of widespread depletion of food after Myanmar’s traders purchased all kind of rice and took them to majority Myanmar or Burma region.

Therefore, lack of food during long period of time in the region seemed that people were famished but nothing to eat.

With the increase in prices of rough and good quality rice in the last month reached record high, never before in history except  in 1963s. In that year, Arakanese people had to starve and died and did not have sufficient food to eat. Because, all the rice were taken by Burmese government to their region. Hence, Arakanese people came out from their dying beds of homes to the streets to demand and protest. They demanded to distribute rice and chanted slogan “ Arakan’s rice is for Arakan” . Myanmar government atrociously and brutally fired over  500 shots into people procession. Over 300 Arakanese people mostly youths were massacred on the streets of their beloved city by Myanmar or Burma

government.

Nowadays, Myanmar are buying ,in luring way ,huge quantity of rice from Arakan to their region again.

Consequently, the price of paw san rice reached Ks 44,000 per bag in this month, up from  Ks 33,000 per bag and the price of Monsoon and summer rice are unstable in the rice market.

In the lost Arakan to Myanmar, besides fishery , paddy is mainly cultivated that rice production is not only enough for its own people but also able to sell beyond the territory. But, Government of Myanmar intentionally does not allow Arakanese farmers  to sell rice to international market and set their own organization which can only export rice to foreign. Arakanese rice traders are just to sell their rice to Burmese men at low price.

Burmese rice traders trading under the Government of Myanmar  mercilessly and greedily exploiting by  buying more and more quantity of rice at low price from Arakanese farmers and distributing once to those rice in the very much rare rice region of Burma or Myanmar and also selling to foreign . Arakanese rice traders are not allowed to sell their rice to abroad under the law of Myanmar  government.  

US to keep pressure on Myanmar to solve Rohingya issue

Senior correspondent  bdnews24.com

Published: 2018-07-25 19:42:51.0 BdST Updated: 2018-07-25 19:42:51.0 BdST

The US administration will continue to put pressure on Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2018/07/25/us-to-keep-pressure-on-myanmar-to-solve-rohingya-issue

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan said Washington would continue its pressure on Myanmar to create safe and secured conditions in Northern Rakhine for repatriation of those Myanmar nationals from Bangladesh.

He lauded Bangladesh’s role in addressing the issue in a meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali in Washington on Tuesday.

The foreign ministry said the deputy secretary thanked Bangladesh for its role in addressing the Rohingya crisis while greeting the foreign minister.

Ali is currently visiting Washington at the invitation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the first-ever ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.

The State Department is hosting the high-level global meeting on religious freedom on July 25-26.

Ali conveyed sincere thanks and appreciation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to US President Donald Trump, and his administration, for the “strong and consistent” humanitarian and political support to Bangladesh in dealing with this massive humanitarian crisis.

He urged the US administration to remain engaged with Myanmar to ensure dignified, safe and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.