EarthRights International, acting as a member of the Shwe Gas Movement, and eight Korean NGOs and labour unions accuse Daewoo International and the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) of breaching the OECD Guidelines. The breach relates to the companies’ exploration, development, and operation of the Shwe natural gas project in military-ruled Burma. According to the complaint, human rights abuses such as forced relocation and violations of the right to freedom of expression are linked to the project. It is claimed that the companies have failed to disclose information to local communities about the project and local people have not participated in any impact assessments, despite the ongoing and imminent human rights and environmental impacts.

Offshore exploration has been ongoing since 2004, when Daewoo first discovered commercially viable gas off the coast of Burma’s Arakan State. Construction of a transnational, cross-country pipeline is being planned to transport the Shwe gas to China, threatening more severe and widespread human rights abuses, included forced relocation, forced labor and violence perpetrated against local communities by the Burmese Army, which will secure the project.

Daewoo International is the operator of the consortium developing the Shwe Project, which includes KOGAS, ONGC Videsh and GAIL of India, and the company is facilitating the pipeline development in an expected partnership with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Daewoo has been in Burma for this project since 2000.

Contact:

Matthew F. Smith
Project Coordinator, The Burma Project
EarthRights International (ERI)
email: matthew@earthrights.org
phone:+66-871810160

For Korean language:
Kim Kyoung
Coordinator
Korea House for International Solidarity (KHIS)
Email: kyoung7@gmail.com
phone: +82-(0)2-73658089

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