Economy
& Natural Resources

Frontier Services Group, a Hong Kong-listed security services firm led by Ex-Blackwater chief Erik Prince, "obtained a security licence to provide international-standard security services to international investors in Myanmar, including those from China, Japan and Thailand." FSG came under fire earlier this year after publishing plans to build a "training camp" in Xinjiang Province, China. In 2007, operatives from FSG's predecessor Blackwater allegedly fired on civilians in Iraq, killing 14 people. The largest shareholder in FSG is the Chinese state-owned investment company CITIC Group, which is also involved in the development of the Kyaukphyu SEZ in Arakan State. Civil society is concerned that FSG will focus on providing security services to large infrastructure projects like Kyaukphyu and the Myitsone Dam, though the full extent of its planned operations are still unknown. Myanmar Times

Fishing communities in Yebyu Township, Tenassarim Division/Tanintharyi Region filed grievances against two multinational corporations for disrupting their livelihoods. French energy company Total and Germany's Siemens are partnering to develop a liquid natural gas power plant in Ohnbinkwin village, part of a larger project to provide universal electricity access across Burma by 2030. Fishermen in Daminseik, Pashu Yay, and Maw Ngan villages claimed company survey boats damaged their fishing nets and they also lost income as they were banned from fishing for while surveys were conducted for the power plant project. Residents of both Pashu Yay and Maw Ngan filed complaints with Total's Burma office, seeking compensation for damages. After conducting its own investigation, Total decided to compensate villagers from Maw Ngan but not Pashu Yay, citing a lack of evidence damages. Frontier Myanmar

Asia Foundation's 2018 City Life Survey found that over 35% of households in Burma cannot afford a health emergency of K200,000 (US$130). The survey included 2414 people in 228 wards across the cities of Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Monywa, Rangoon/Yangon, and Taunggyi. Every household surveyed in Rangoon had four or more family members, but only earned between K350,000-450,000 (US$227-292) a month. 42% of all respondents were currently unemployed. Myanmar Times

Lawyers representing communities in southern Burma claimed that local officials and companies were using the amended Vacant, Fallow, Virgin (VFV) Land Management Law before the official 11 March deadline to remove villagers from disputed land areas. Lawyers in Dawei representing NGO Tanintharyi Friends said that four villagers in Kyauksha were sued on 24 August last year by the Yephyu Township Court for trespassing under Article 26 of the VFV law. The villagers allege they were living on and harvesting land on a 14-acre plot in Kyauksha for more than twenty years - then when they applied to the VFV land management committee to use the land, they were denied. About a third of Burma's land is classified as VFV land by the government and observers fear the law will lead to displacement and criminalization of local ethnic landholders. Myanmar Times

On 10 March, civil society organizations held a press conference in Rangoon/Yangon to ask the government to immediately suspend the implementation of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin (VFV) Lands Management Law. The amended law required those using VFV land to register for a land use permit by 11 March 2019 or face up to two years in jail for trespassing. However, a survey of over 1,000 villagers in Tanintharyi Division and Chin, Shan, and Karenni/Kayah States in late February showed that 92% of respondents didn’t know if their land was designated as VFV land by the government and 95% weren’t aware the law existed. The panelists stressed that implementing the law now would criminalize and dispossess thousands of smallholder farmers and displaced people living primarily in ethnic areas and could contribute to civil unrest and armed conflict. Myanmar Times

On 6 March, New Yangon Development Company (NYDC) CEO Serge Pun defended his company's decision to work with China Communications construction Company (CCCC) to develop the New Yangon City project. Last year, the NYDC signed a US$1.5 billion framework agreement with Chinese state-owned CCCC to build infrastructure for the new city, however numerous allegations of corruption on behalf of CCCC have emerged. At a consultation meeting last week civil society representatives raised concerns about the CCCC - a company once blacklisted by the World Bank under charges of corruption and bribery - as well as the environmental and financial risks posed by the project. When asked about the allegations against CCCC, Pun responded: “I don’t want to comment on CCCC’s past. But they have to stay on the right track when working with us." Irrawaddy

On 1 March, senior officials from China's Yunnan province met again with Kachin religious leaders to solicit support for the controversial Myitsone hydropwer dam project. The meeting between the officials and representatives of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) took place in Yunnan's border town Ruili. According to KBC leaders, the Chinese officials urged them to support the project and also encouraged local ethnic armed groups to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. Multiple projects are planned for Kachin State as part of China's signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China is acting as a mediator between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups in an effort to protect its investments in the region. The meeting followed the controversial visit by Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang at the end of 2018, in which he wrongfully claimed that the Kachin people supported the dam project. Irrawaddy

An investigation by Frontier Myanmar, Myanmar Now, and Danish investigative news organization Danwatch found evidence of discrimination against labor leaders at six Rangoon/Yangon garment factories. The factories supply for large European brands, including Adidas, Lidl, Aldi, and Bestseller. Frontier contacted all four brands for comment and all responded, saying they are investigating the allegations and planning to meet with the suppliers to address these issues. Burma’s garment sector is worth US$2 billion, but is currently in limbo – the EU is considering removing Burma’s trade privileges due to the serious allegations of human rights violations in Arakan, Kachin, and Shan states and concerns over labor rights. Frontier Myanmar

The Tatmadaw recently signed a joint venture agreement with Ukspecexport, Ukraine's military import/export agency, to build an armored vehicle assembly plant by 2020. The plant is reportedly designed to assemble BTR-4U eight-wheeled APCs and 2S1U self-propelled howitzers. The initial equipment and machinery delivered to open the plant is valued at US$4.2 million. Irrawaddy

Chinese state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) - the company contracted to design infrastructure projects for the New Yangon City project - is accused of corruption, bribery, and fraud in at least 10 countries where it has projects. CCCC and government-owned New Yangon Development Company (NYDC) signed a framework agreement last April for the first phase of the New Yangon City project, which includes nine projects worth US$1.5 billion. The project is one of many in Burma that forms part of China's signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). NYDC signed its contract with CCCC without a tender process. CCCC has operations in 118 countries, but was sanctioned by the World Bank from 2009-2017 because of fraudulent bidding practices in the Philippines. Similar allegations of corruption and bribery were documented in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand. Irrawaddy

100 acres of rice paddy fields in Laung Min village, Homalin Township, Sagaing Division were destroyed by tons of waste runoff from an illegal gold mine. Locals complained the problem was ongoing since 2016 and the government did not take action to compensate them for their losses. Homalin Township representative, Kyaw Htay Lwin, said that 60 gold mines were illegally operating in the area but justice for the farmers was difficult as the government did not "know who should compensate them [local farmers] because the mines are illegal." Myanmar Times