The Earth Rights report alleges Chevron and other energy companies are making large profits while Burma uses the gas and energy they produce to develop nuclear weapons technologies.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC Newsdesk.

A report has been published which states Burma’s military junta is being indirectly assisted by Chevron and other multinational energy companies to develop nuclear weapons.

The Earth Rights report also argues that the companies Total, Chevron, and PTTEP have failed to inform their shareholders that they are generating profit in association with the Junta. The report presents new evidence on the revenues generated by the Yadana project for the Burmese military regime.

The report also examines human rights abuses committed by Burma’s junta as its military provides security for the oil companies and the pipeline that the companies have constructed.

The report states: “Additionally, the report describes violent human rights abuses committed in the last year by the Burma Army providing security for the oil companies and the pipeline, and analyzes how the companies remain legally liable for such abuses.”

Terry Evans, an advocate for a free Burma, writes that the report has credible evidence to back its claims: “The Burmese junta are using massive gas revenues from Chevron (US), Total (France) and PTTEP (Thailand) to fund it’s fledgling nuclear weapons programme, according to a report published this week by the Paris-based human rights watchdog EarthRights International (ERI),” Terry Evans writes.

In summary of the report, Terry Evans writes:

The report relies on recent photographic evidence and other top-secret material smuggled out of Burma by defecting army Major Sai Thein Win, a former deputy commander of a top-secret military facility, based deep inside Burma.

It seems that Burma’s nuclear program is at an early stage, with scientists experimenting with laser isotope separation and gas centrifuge technology for uranium enrichment. Despite the fact that the program is still years away from achieving weapons capability, the growing threat of this rogue state is now coming to the attention of the international community.

ERI stated that billions of dollars of revenue from gas sales to the Burmese junta never enters Burma, instead remaining in off-shore accounts in Singapore, Dubai and possibly elsewhere. These foreign exchange reserves provide the military junta with much needed US dollars allowing them to purchase nuclear technology, along with conventional weapons, including new MiG-29 fighter planes from Russia and large scale offensive weapons from China.

To date Chevron, Total, and PTTEP have refused to disclose details of their payments to the Burmese junta.

For more, see, Earth Rights report: Energy Insecurity (full report in English).