Asian (con)Fusion: Burma's BioFuel Terror

Jatropha_plantation3 By Andrew Buncombe

There has been acres written about the dangers of the biofuel "weed"
jatropha (pictured), a plant that, across the world, is being sown in
areas formerly used for food production. There is big money to be made
from the plant, said to produce four times as much fuel per hectare as
soybean and 10 times as much as maize.

At the same time, many people are concerned about the risks of the
plant's introduction, especially in the way it could threaten food
security in already impoverished countries.

In Haiti, for example, there are hopes that jatropha could be used to
bring income to the poorest country in the Western hemisphere but also
worries about whether it may divert resources from food production.

Now a new report details the darker side of jatropha in Burma.
According to the report by the Ethnic Community Development Forum, "a
draconian campaign by Burma's military to grow eight million acres of
the jatropha plant for biofuel production is resulting in forced
labour and land confiscation throughout the country".

The report says that people have been fined, beaten, and arrested for
not participating in the campaign. Threats to food security are also
emerging as lands are taken over by the biofuel plant.

It adds: "From Southern Shan state alone, at least eight hundred
refugees have fled to Thailand as a result of the programme".

Anyway, read the report and tell me what you think. The regime in
Burma, propped up by the likes of China and India, is desperate for
foreign currency while the needs of its people are always the last of
its priorities. This report, as depressing as it is, comes as little
surprise.

Posted at 11:36 AM in Asian (con)Fusion | Permalink

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/05/burmas-biofuel.html