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The grim face of militarized development The SPDC has sold rights to exploit domestic resources to neighbouring countries, generating billions of dollars, yet the Burmese people have not seen the economic benefits. 16 Instead, in pursuing its own interests and militarizing development projects, the Government has exploited local villagers and exposed them to human rights abuses. Villagers are systematically subjected to forced labour by Burmese army troops. 17 For example, during the construction of the Yadana gas pipeline in Eastern Burma, a joint venture of the Frenchowned Total and the US-owned Unocal (now owned by Chevron), Government soldiers and proxy military groups providing security forced civilians to cut down trees, serve as porters, and build military infrastructure. 18 Those who refused were beaten, raped, tortured and killed. 19 Large-scale land confiscation is another prevalent development-related government abuse. Villagers receive nominal or no compensation for the farmland seized. In 2010, approximately 2,500 acres of land in Southern Burma were confiscated and distributed to logging companies. 20 Villagers who live by the China-sponsored development of the Shwe gas pipelines in Western Burma also report that authorities have been confiscating land without compensation. 21 Many Burmese rely primarily on farming for their livelihoods. Forced labour leaves them much less time to cultivate their land, while confiscation completely deprives them of their source of food and income. Additionally, militarization of areas with development projects, which is common, is often 16 EarthRights International, Energy Insecurity, (July 2010), . 17 EarthRights International, The Human Cost of Energy: Chevron’s Continuing Role in Financing Oppression and Profiting From Human Rights Abuses in Military-Rule Burma, (April 2008), ; UN Human Rights Council, Progress report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, (10 March 2010). 18 R. Sisodia and A. Buncombe, “Burmese villagers ‘forced to work on Total pipeline,” The Independent, (14 August 2009), . 19 EarthRights International, The Human Cost of Energy, op cit, . 20 S.Y. Naing, “Land Confiscation Reported in Dawei Project,” The Irawaddy, (15 December 2010), . 21 Mizzima News Group. “Land confiscation begins with pipeline project,” Mizzima News, (9 November 2009), . accompanied by an increase in unofficial taxes, imposed on local villagers by soldiers. 22 These corrupt practices not only heighten food insecurity, they also close off educational opportunities: farmers can no longer afford to send their children to school. Environmental impact The severe environmental degradation that frequently results from these projects further exacerbates their negative social and economic impact. Unsustainable logging, shrimp farming and hydroelectric projects, as well as extractive industries have seriously damaged the environment. For example, air and water pollution created by a 2010 coal mining partnership agreement between Chinese and Burmese companies in Shan State have contaminated water supplies and caused approximately 2,000 cases of skin disease. 23 This venture is the largest cooperative mining project between China and Burma, located in the Sagaing Division, and it continues to release toxic chemicals during the refining process. 24 The environmental risks associated with development projects are not disclosed to affected communities, 25 and in the absence of the rule of law the victims of development-related government actions have no viable legal recourse. Order 1/99, which outlaws forced labour, it is hardly enforced. 26 When individuals subjected to forced labour and land confiscation have filed complaints, the SPDC has retaliated against them and their lawyers through criminal charges and arbitrary sentences to hard labour camps. 27 22 All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress, Overview of Land Confiscation in Arakan State , (June 2010) . Available from: ; Karen Human Rights Group, Pa’an District: Land confiscation, forced labour and extortion undermining villagers’ livelihoods, 11 February 2006. Available from: . 23 Pa-O Youth Organization, Poison Clouds: Lessons from Burma’s largest coal project at Tigyit, (2011), . 24 J. Allchin, “China seals biggest Burma mining deal,” Democratic Voice of Burma, (July 30 2010), . 25 EarthRights International, China in Burma: The Increasing Investment of Chinese Multinational Corporations in Burma’s Hydropower, Oil, and Natural Gas, and Mining Sectors, (September 2007), . 26 The Government of the Union of Myanmar, “Order supplementing Order No. 1/99,” in The Ministry of Home Affairs, (27 October 2000). 27 International Trade Union Confederation, 2010 Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights – Burma, (9 June 2010); M. Maung, “Lawyer arrested for defending labour activist freed,” Mizzima News, (6 March 2010), ; Kaew, N.K, “Army seizes 30,000 acres of farmland,” Democratic Voice of Burma, (22 February 2011), . Social Watch 83 Burma The country’s environmental laws are not enforced. Although the Forest Law emphasizes the importance of conserving and protecting Burma’s forests, 28 between 1990 and 2005, the country lost almost 20% of its forests, 29 and in recent years the rate of deforestation has increased. Similarly, although the Myanmar Mines Law of 1994 requires permission from land users before a mining permit is issued, in practice villagers are not consulted and their lands are typically confiscated. 30 Additionally, no law requires that companies seeking to invest in development projects in Burma consult with affected communities. Even when companies have taken the initiative to do so, the environmental impact assessments that were commissioned have been fundamentally flawed, leading to inaccurate conclusions. 31 For example, the third-party environmental impact assessment commissioned by the French oil company Total on the Yadana gas pipeline project relied on the testimony of Burmese villagers procured through interviews conducted in the presence of military intelligence officials. Conclusions Strong democratic institutions that promote good governance are an essential prerequisite for sustainable development. This entails respect for the rule of law and human rights, effective public participation, access to knowledge, and accountability in the management of public resources. Democratic principles must be strengthened in Burma through free and fair elections, an independent judiciary that upholds the rule of law, and a constitutional review that involves all stakeholders. Public participation should also be incorporated into all stages of development so that the people can shape economic policies, become fully aware of the social and environmental impact of all development initiatives, and have the power to hold government actors and companies accountable for any rights violations. n 28 The State Law and Order Restoration Council, The Forest Law (The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No 8/92), (3 November 1992). 29 The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), “Burma Human Rights Yearbook 2008-2009,” in Human Rights Documentation Unit, (November 2009), . 30 Pa-O Youth Organization, Poison Clouds, op cit, ; The State Law and Order Restoration Council, The Myanmar Mines Law (No 8/94), (6 September 1994). 31 EarthRights International, Getting it Wrong: Flawed Corporate Social Responsibility and Misrepresentations Surrounding Total and Chevron’s Yadana Gas Pipeline in Military-Ruled Burma, (September 2009), .
SILAKA Thida Khus camBodia Human and social capacities should be the priority After two decades of civil war and following the 1993 election sponsored by the United Nations, Cambodia has joined the world economy. Since then, the country has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2009. The country has also embraced a structural adjustment process which encompasses the privatization of State businesses and services; after 18 years of economic liberalization, Cambodia has seen some prosperity mostly due to the adoption of new and modern infrastructure. However, questions remain to be asked whether the development models applied are in fact sustainable and if they could lead to narrowing the gap between rich and poor Cambodians. The country’s GDP growth reached peaked at 13.4% in 2007, and then dropped to 7.2% in 2008, climbed to 10.1% in 2009 and reached its nadir in 2010, with -1.5%. 1 The key growing industries have been tourism, garmet manufacturing, and construction, but all these sectors have been heavily hit during the recent economic and financial crisis. Also, the benefits of growth do not extend to all. For instance, in 2010 nearly 4,000 tourists visited Angkor Wat per day, bringing about USD 4.5 million per month in revenue. 2 However, this benefit has not reached the poor; even though Cambodia’s tourism industry has created 10,000 jobs, a large portion of its profits do not filter down to local communities. Six to 10% of Siemreap City’s population of 173,000, for example, earn no more than USD 2.5 a day, according to 2010 statistics from the Ministry of Planning. 3 Last year, 289,702 tourists came from South Korea and 177,000 from China, but that was of little help to the local economy. 4 According to the Cambodia Daily newspaper, “they (South Korean and 1 Index Mundi, Cambodia GDP – real growth rate, (2011), . 2 Khmer News, “Angkor Wat revenues rise on Chinese flights,” (2010), . 3 Ibid. 4 English People Daily Online, “Cambodia sees Chinese visitors as potential boost to tourism,” (15 January 2011), . After 18 years of economic liberalization, the country faces pressing economic, social and environmental challenges, such as increasing vulnerability to natural disasters and lack of an appropiate irrigation system. The Government fails to protect the rights of the country’s indigenous peoples, who are facing corporate takeover in the name of development. In order to sustain rapid economic growth, to provide jobs and to reduce poverty levels, Cambodia needs to diversify its economy but, prior to that, it must invest in human capital. Promoting economic development without taking basic steps to strengthen internal social and human capacity will condemn the country to a widening gap between rich and poor. Basic Capabilities Index (BCI) BCI = 73 100 0 Children reaching 5th grade 44 100 100 91 Births attended Surviving under-5 Chinese tourists) fly on their own carriers, sleep in pre-booked hotels and eat in restaurants that serve their own national dishes.” 5 Environmental and economic vulnerability Cambodia is especially vulnerable to extreme weather and economic downturns, since it lacks a proper social safety net. A study conducted by the Cambodian Economic Association on several poor communities in targeted villages made apparent that there has been an increased vulnerability to food insecurity among the rural poor. 6 The strategies adopted by poor communities to cope with their decreasing income are tremendously harmful to their human dignity and well-being. For example, 55% of Cambodians in this situation tend to reduce the amount of food consumed; this is more common among the female population, since 64% of mothers and girls are reducing their food intake in order to leave more to the other members of the family. 7 If we also consider the quality, as well as the amount of food consumed per family member, then 75% of the people of the targeted villages are seriously jeopardizing their nutrition, health and quality of life. Mining Management of the mining industry has also been a matter of concern recently, not only because it has a heavy impact on the environment but also because it exemplifies the Government’s economic 5 The Cambodia Daily, (24 Februrary, 2011). 6 “The Impact of Economic Downturn on Households and Communities in Cambodia,” CEA, (May 2010). 7 Ibid. 64 National reports 84 Social Watch Gender Equity Index (GEI) GEI = 55 Education 100 21 0 Empowerment 100 71 73 100 Economic activity and social mismanagement. A copper mine in the Kvav Commune (Siemreap province), for example, was almost fully operative while little was known about it by the neighbouring villagers. According to an article in The Cambodia Daily, “An official said the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Chinese business are behind the mining. It is kept under a blanket of secrecy. The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Energy and the Chinese building corporation Nim Meng Group, stating that the data of the exploration, the feasibility study and the mining operation were all confidential.” 8 The agreement granted 80 km 2 for both extraction (6 yrs) and exploration (up to 30 yrs). A patronage system has existed between RCAF and the business community since 2008, and this has become the official policy. The militarization of the Cambodian mines is now emerging, and reporters were escorted out of the compound of the mining site in Siemreap. The company said that they will build an irrigation system for the rice field and roads for the village, but six neighbouring villages have already filed claims that the company has encroached on their land. Challenges in agriculture In order to support the agricultural sector, the Government has to improve public services to support farmers. The irrigation scheme – that serves about a third of the country’s farmland – is mostly falling apart as local management fails to address its maintenance. 9 Furthermore, Japan’s International 8 The Cambodia Daily, (1 March 2011). 9 The Cambodia Daily, 26, (27 February 2011).
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SOCIAL WATCH R E P O R T 2 0 1 2 SU
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SOCIAL WATCH REPORT 2012 The right
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Social Watch in the world SW Nation
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• GUATEMALA: CONGCOOP - Coordinac
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Española de la Educación; Movimie
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Social Watch: promoting accountabil
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Global Assembly The Global Assembly
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Table of contents The right to a fu
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The right to a future An overview o
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has similarly led to population dis
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In the current international trade
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Rio+20 and beyond: no future withou
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ated into many other international
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• Emphasizing progressive taxatio
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A compensation scheme to pay off cl
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Rio+20: implementation is the key A
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Sustainable development and a renew
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policies that have only exacerbated
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neoliberal model, it gained even mo
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Thus, the advances of the sustainab
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Networking cities that use new indi
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Green and equal: financing for sust
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fROM AID EffECTIvENESS TO TAx jUSTI
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Page 50 and 51: The indignados are asking the right
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Page 56: have its most negative impacts and
Page 60 and 61: BASIC CAPABILITIES INDEx 2011 The b
Page 62 and 63: TeChnICal noTes 1 The following are
Page 64 and 65: surviving under-5 Birth atended Chi
Page 66 and 67: education malawi 89 57 32 59 malays
Page 68 and 69: Achievement Possibility Frontiers (
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Page 82 and 83: diversified manner and underscored
Page 84 and 85: was re-opened shortly afterwards wi
Page 86 and 87: waste water is often polluted by hu
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Page 92 and 93: The Kyoto Protocol includes an anti
Page 94 and 95: However, the Government has not tak
Page 96 and 97: One egregious example is the offici
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Page 102 and 103: Unemployment According to a 2009 st
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Page 112 and 113: FIGURE 1 Unemployment in Croatia me
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Page 122 and 123: Taking a broad view, even though in
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Page 128 and 129: WORLD LEVEL COMMITMENTS The world h
Page 130 and 131: A study by Diakonie, the Protestant
Page 132 and 133: TABLE 1 Trends in Forest Cover in G
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Page 144 and 145: In terms of development cooperation
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trial effluents have caused water p
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has been a high priority, efforts a
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ment protection agency. There have
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concerning the La Parota dam since
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droughts and by modifications to na
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The question of transparency was hi
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sustainable development. Realizing
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THE COORDINADORA CIVIL TAxATION PRO
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Beach of the Atlantic Ocean. 10 Riv
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direction, implement a system for t
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lacked access to continuous water s
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According to ANAM’s Environment I
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• To promote the active participa
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is almost twice that of Latin Ameri
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The conflict in Mindanao is instruc
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postcolonialism, he writes, “The
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them. Initially this was a wide-bas
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and environmental hotspot clean-up
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the employer is not obliged to pay
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try. Research has shown that this m
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eflected in Parliament by the progr
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ASIA’S LONGEST CIVIL WAR The Sri
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TABLE 1 Summary of general educatio
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Agriculture and food security Chall
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damage and destruction to the fishi
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FIGURE 1 Increase in after-tax inco
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which unemployment decreased, since
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emissions. It is important that emi
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3%, is due not only to its small si
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The national biomass (above and bel
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