| Activists Working for Burma Met with Senior Government Officials at the Asian Development Bank |
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| Written by Alisa Loveman | |
| Thursday, 03 May 2007 | |
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May 4, 2007. Kyoto, Japan. At the Asian Development Bank’s 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors (AGM) activists called on the Asia Development Bank (ADB) to cease providing technical assistance to Burma via the Greater Mekong Subregion program and seriously address concerns regarding the ADB’s involvement with the military junta in Burma. The representatives from groups working for Burma met with the Director of the Ministry of Finance of the Japanese government and requested the delegates to urge the ADB to tell the people of Burma how they are supporting the military generals and to explain why the ADB is making a political position by supporting the military regime of Burma. The Director of the Ministry of Finance of the Japanese government responded by saying he was “shocked to know the situation” in Burma and will look into the situation regarding ADB assistance to Burma’s military generals. ERI is calling for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to seriously address concerns regarding the ADB’s involvement with the military junta in Burma and improve ADB’s accountability, transparency, and protection of the most marginalized citizens of the ADB Developing Member Countries. The ADB has chosen to quietly include the participation of Burma’s military generals in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) program, supporting a range of regional development programs which include the Asian Highway component of the East-West Economic Corridor initiative, and the Ta Sang Dam on the Salween River in Burma of the proposed Mekong Power Grid. The Ta Sang Dam is slated to be built on the longest remaining free flowing river in all of mainland Southeast Asia in an area in Burma already suffering the atrocities of civil war. Last month, over 400 villagers were forced by Burmese military authorities to attend the official “celebration” ceremony to launch construction of the Ta Sang Dam. In addition, over 300,000 people have already been forcibly relocated from the area in Southern Shan State and if built, the Ta Sang Dam will drive thousands more from their homes and will involve more forced relocations by the Burma’s army.
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Read the full text of ERI's Press Release
