Warlike situation on BD-Myanmar border

[MBI Munshi]

Myanmar army prepares 8-km minefield

UNB, Dhaka

A warlike situation prevails on the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier as Myanmar's army was learnt to have prepared an eight-kilometer minefield and evacuated around 500 people from their bordering villages, apparently as disputes over ownership of a part of the Bay of Bengal heightened.

Sources from the country's southeastern frontier told UNB Sunday evening that around 5,500 to 6,000 Myanmarese soldiers were deployed across the Bangladesh border. Myanmar also shored up its naval strength in the sea area.
The contentions compounded when Bangladesh is leasing out offshore gas blocks to two foreign companies for exploration within the country's territorial waters in the Bay.

One source apprehends that the Myanmar military may invade the lower tip (Dumdunia under Noapara union) of Teknaf as a strategy of putting up bargain with Bangladesh on the disputed maritime boundary, as Dhaka took the demarcation issue up for UN arbitration alongside negotiations with the claimant neighbors. A reliable source from the frontier town of Teknaf said three battalions of Bangladesh army today (Sunday) conducted recce in Gundum, Chakdal and Marichapalong areas of Teknaf to locate the strategic positions.
However, the source said, "Preparation on the Bangladesh side is not strong enough compared to the Myanmar side."

The sources said the strength of Bangladesh navy and army combined is greater than those of Myanmar, but the Bangladesh side needs adequate preparation to face any eventuality.

They said Myanmar authorities are erecting barbed-wire fences within their territory across the Bangladesh border. On the sidelines of ACD meeting in Colombo, the Myanmar Foreign Minister and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni had a meeting last Friday when the former said their troops were doing "routine work".

Last week, State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Huq Tuku ruled out reasons for getting worried but said there must be alert in place over the reported Myanmar security buildups.

leading news

[wtf]

I suppose this is the issue that will force everyone to show their hands. China, India and (sometimes) even Pakistan has been cosy with both Myanmar and Bangladesh. USA has been anti-Myanmar, but does have interests in Bangladesh (but the feeling is not reciprocated). If Bangladesh and Myanmar duke it out in the UN, each of the countries will have to pick sides.

On the other hand, if it comes down to a border skirmish, US might even manage to set up a permanent military settlement on one of the countries.

[Al-Zakir]

China for resolving Bangladesh-Myanmar dispute through talks

War or attack not solution of any problem: Chinese Envoy

Friday October 30 2009 02:01:47 AM BDT

As tension continues to mount on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Asian giant China, a common friend of the two neighbours has come forward with the suggestion for resolving the dispute between the two countries through negotiations saying ‘War or attack is no solution of any problem.(TBT Report)

The Chinese views were expressed by its Ambassador in Dhaka Zhang Xianyi at a programme in the capital on Thursday. The envoy also assured Bangladesh of Chinese assistance for developing road and communications. He said China is looking to import tea to reduce trade gap.

According to UNB: China wants Bangladesh to resolve its disputes and disagreements with Myanmar on issues such as maritime boundary through peaceful negotiations, new Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xianyi said here on Thursday.

"It's quite natural having disputes and disagreements with neighbours. We hope you will solve your problems through bilateral negotiations at the negotiation table," he said at Meet-the-Reporters program at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

He said his observation is that Bangladesh and Myanmar did have negotiations on the issues this year. "I am confident that with good attitude from both the sides, all problems will be resolved."

The Chinese envoy replied to a volley of questions on current developments in regional and international arenas as well as bilateral political and economic cooperation between Dhaka and Beijing during an hour-long interaction.

DRU President Shamim Ahmad was in the chair while general secretary Pathik Saha made introductory remarks.

Asked whether China will stand beside Bangladesh if attacked politically or militarily, Xianyi smiled and said: "I've deep impression that Bangladesh is a peace-loving nation and wants to make friendship with all countries for peace, cooperation and development. Bangladesh and its neighbors pursue the policy of peaceful co-existence."

The Ambassador noted that war or attack is not a solution of any issue. China also believes the same. Solution of disputes and disagreements can only be found through peaceful means. This is a consensus of the international community.

Asked about the planned Chittagong-Myanmar-Kunming highway, Xianyi said the project is still on the table and all the three countries- China, Bangladesh and Myanmar-are positive about the trans-border road link. About complaints against Chinese visa regime, the Ambassador said if a person with genuine purpose applies for visa, he will get it. But a number of people overstay in China illegally.

On the issue of climate change, he hoped that the upcoming Copenhagen Climate Conference would be able to yield results for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that causes global warming that changes climatic patterns.

He said since developed countries are 80 percent responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, they should come forward with actions for transferring development aid, technology and capacity-building supports to the developing countries to help them adapt to calamitous climate change. On the Dhaka-Beijing bilateral relations, the Ambassador said, "We're tested friends, tested by time…we are all-weather friends and we trust each other and we've cooperation in every field."

BSS adds: China will increase its assistance to Bangladesh for development of infrastructures of roads and railways communications.

"Now we are planning to implement several aid projects in Bangladesh, including the 7th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, two rural primary schools and Bangladesh-China Exhibition Centre," said Chinese Ambassador.

The Chinese ambassador said the Chinese entrepreneurs would come forward to invest in Bangladesh soon on a priority basis.

The Chinese government will import several goods, including jute products, lathers, row materials and chemical, he said.

bdnews24.com, adds: China, which introduced tea to the world, wants to import it as one of the few products from Bangladesh to reduce huge trade gap.

"We pay great attention to this. There is trade imbalance of bilateral trade in favour of China," ambassador Zhang Xianyi said.

"We want to import more from Bangladesh. I travel to different parts of the country to find out what more products we can buy from Bangladesh to reduce the gap," said Xianyi. "We buy 10 percent of Bangladesh's jute exportable jute and jute products. "We can buy frozen sea food, tea, leather products and textile from Bangladesh," he added.

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=291276