Tension between Dhaka, Yangon over maritime boundary eases
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Chances of a confrontation between Myanmar and Bangladesh over maritime boundary appeared to have eased, with officials from the two countries meeting to resolve their dispute over offshore waters that are being explored for oil and gas, report AP and BSS.
At the same time, Bangladeshi officials said Friday they had received a letter from the South Korean oil company exploring the waters off its southeast coast that said it was withdrawing its exploration equipment from the disputed area.
In 2005, Myanmar awarded exploration rights in the area to South Korea's Daewoo International Corp, which conducted initial feasibility studies in 2007. Daewoo began formally exploring the concession area in September.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry Friday said it would do "everything" to safeguard its sovereignty in territorial waters as diplomatic endeavours visibly resulted in the suspension of hydrocarbon exploration by the Myanmar-engaged South Korean company in the disputed waters.
"We will do everything to maintain our sovereignty and territory," Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told BSS as Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed earlier Thursday reviewed the situation in a meeting joined by home and foreign advisers, army, navy and air force chiefs and senior civil and military officials.
He said he talked to envoys of South Korea and China, a close ally of Myanmar, while Bangladesh ambassadors to the two countries were continuing talks with Seoul and Beijing authorities to resolve the crisis.
The crisis erupted last week with the intervention of Yangon in the disputed waters defying an earlier understanding.
Officials earlier said South Korean Daewoo already initiated the process of withdrawal of the installation from the scene in the deep sea while Bangladesh and Myanmar's war ships were still positioned in the disputed waters.
"(But) we will keep our presence in the (disputed) region until we are confident about their (Myanmar's) gesture," Chowdhury said while defence sources said five Bangladeshi navy vessels including a frigate and two missile boats and two Myanmar missile boats were staying in close proximity while the Korean rig continued the withdrawal process.
Meanwhile, defence sources said Yangon overnight withdrew two warships leaving two missile boats at the scene but reports were received that they moved some troops in the frontiers along southeastern Bangladesh.
"They withdrew two navy ships but we received reports of some troops movement along the border . . . however they have not shown any offensive posture in the sea or along the land border so far," a defence source said.
Foreign ministry officials, without elaboration, said the three-member high-powered delegation led by foreign secretary Mohammad Touhid Hossain was expected to return home after three days of talks with the authorities in Yangon.
The delegation went to Myanmar in a bid to persuade the secluded country to suspend hydrocarbon explorations in the disputed waters until settlement of the maritime boundary dispute in the region.
Foreign ministry officials said, the foreign adviser was in communication with some foreign diplomats in Bangladesh and some Bangladeshi ambassadors abroad in the past two days as Dhaka engaged diplomatic channels abroad seeking other "concerned countries" role in resolving the problem.
At the same time, Bangladeshi officials said Friday they had received a letter from the South Korean oil company exploring the waters off its southeast coast that said it was withdrawing its exploration equipment from the disputed area.
In 2005, Myanmar awarded exploration rights in the area to South Korea's Daewoo International Corp, which conducted initial feasibility studies in 2007. Daewoo began formally exploring the concession area in September.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry Friday said it would do "everything" to safeguard its sovereignty in territorial waters as diplomatic endeavours visibly resulted in the suspension of hydrocarbon exploration by the Myanmar-engaged South Korean company in the disputed waters.
"We will do everything to maintain our sovereignty and territory," Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told BSS as Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed earlier Thursday reviewed the situation in a meeting joined by home and foreign advisers, army, navy and air force chiefs and senior civil and military officials.
He said he talked to envoys of South Korea and China, a close ally of Myanmar, while Bangladesh ambassadors to the two countries were continuing talks with Seoul and Beijing authorities to resolve the crisis.
The crisis erupted last week with the intervention of Yangon in the disputed waters defying an earlier understanding.
Officials earlier said South Korean Daewoo already initiated the process of withdrawal of the installation from the scene in the deep sea while Bangladesh and Myanmar's war ships were still positioned in the disputed waters.
"(But) we will keep our presence in the (disputed) region until we are confident about their (Myanmar's) gesture," Chowdhury said while defence sources said five Bangladeshi navy vessels including a frigate and two missile boats and two Myanmar missile boats were staying in close proximity while the Korean rig continued the withdrawal process.
Meanwhile, defence sources said Yangon overnight withdrew two warships leaving two missile boats at the scene but reports were received that they moved some troops in the frontiers along southeastern Bangladesh.
"They withdrew two navy ships but we received reports of some troops movement along the border . . . however they have not shown any offensive posture in the sea or along the land border so far," a defence source said.
Foreign ministry officials, without elaboration, said the three-member high-powered delegation led by foreign secretary Mohammad Touhid Hossain was expected to return home after three days of talks with the authorities in Yangon.
The delegation went to Myanmar in a bid to persuade the secluded country to suspend hydrocarbon explorations in the disputed waters until settlement of the maritime boundary dispute in the region.
Foreign ministry officials said, the foreign adviser was in communication with some foreign diplomats in Bangladesh and some Bangladeshi ambassadors abroad in the past two days as Dhaka engaged diplomatic channels abroad seeking other "concerned countries" role in resolving the problem.