Tension in the Bay of Bengal
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Abdus Saleque
IT is really unfortunate that Bangladesh and Myanmar naval vessels are now positioned face to face at the Bay of Bengal over maritime dispute triggered by commencement of offshore drilling by a Korean company engaged by the government of Myanmar.
The government of Bangladesh has already conveyed its deep concern to that of Myanmar summoning the latter's envoy twice to Dhaka foreign office. The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh is moving to Yangoon to discuss with the ruling authorities there in an effort to pacify tension and resolve the matter through discussion. Meanwhile, Dhaka has sought Beijing's help in resolving its dispute with Yangoon over the rights of offshore oil and gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
There is no way Bangladesh can take this matter at all lightly. Only a few weeks back the Vice Chairman of Myanmar ruling government during his visit reportedly assured Bangladesh that Myanmar would not embark on any drilling in disputed areas of the Bay of Bengal and would resolve the boundary dispute through bilateral discussions under the UN guideline. Meetings between the parties for this purpose are also due soon. Now what has prompted them to go for this unilateral and provocative action?
Bangladesh has requested Myanmar to immediately stop all its activities as per Bangladesh government's 1974 Territorial Water and Maritime Zones Act. Myanmar has been made aware that the government of Bangladesh has the right to protect its interest. In this situation, it will not be improper to consider Myanmar's unilateral action as a fragrant violation of Bangladesh's territorial integrity. If it fails to get the required response, the government of Bangladesh must leave nothing unturned to protect the country's territorial integrity.
It may be mentioned here that despite having potentially very bright prospects of getting substantially large petroleum resources in Bangladesh's territorial waters, Bangladesh did not take proper and timely initiative to explore it. It even failed to achieve any meaningful progress in delimiting maritime boundary. It also did not earlier protest the unilateral drilling initiatives of India and Myanmar in areas adjacent to or even within its territorial water. Bangladesh has started starving for gas while its neighbours are taking advantage of its hibernation.
Bangladesh should seriously consider the option of going to the UN and referring the issue to International Court of Justice if its neighbours continue to make efforts to encroach its maritime boundary and also if its diplomatic initiatives fail to work. It cannot afford to compromise the country's sovereign right on resources.
The Bangladeshi experts outside the government, having knowledge of legal issues of maritime dispute, do need to share those with the government. Myanmar's action must not be considered an isolated incident. It is not very unlikely that the other neighbouring country may soon follow this. Reportedly, Indian Companies ONGC and GAIL also have interest in several blocks in Myanmar with Korean Daewoo. So it may be a test case for other ventures.
For several months, Bangladesh has been discussing with the ruling authorities in Myanmar for bilateral cooperation. Trade, energy, communication, etc. came under discussions. It is not clearly known as to whether the issues relating to the demarcation of the maritime boundary and the off-shore drilling activities in yet-disputed territories did seriously figure in the discussions. If so, then what was the outcome?
The delimitation of maritime boundary is, of course, one of the main issues that relates to deep-water exploration of hydro-carbon resources. Bangladesh has not taken this at all seriously. As a result, the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar and also between Bangladesh and India is yet to be demarcated, fulfilling the requirements of the UN as per law of the sea.
The Bay of Bengal is now among the current focus of oil and gas exploration activities by Myanmar and India. Bangladesh, despite its serious gas crisis, could only make some plans to take experts' help from a number of foreign countries for the job of demarcating maritime boundary. Now with the crisis taking a serious turn, the government must expedite its efforts to complete this process so that it can take effective moves at the international level help address the problem.
In this context, it will not be out of context to mention that delay of Bangladesh in engaging international oil companies (IOCs) for exploration in deep water will only help neighbours. What makes this delay? Is it threat from neighbours? Or is it their weak managerial capacity of the government?
Geologists and petroleum/reservoir engineers are confident that Bangladesh off-shore has tremendous oil and gas prospects. On its part, the government of Bangladesh has taken a too long-time to do the needful for the purpose of starting the exploratory activities while its neighbours are up and doing to explore the related possibilities of striking oil and gas reserves in the Bay of Bengal.
The dispute on maritime boundary delimitation between Bangladesh and Myanmar centres around Bangladeshi views to demarcate, on an equity basis, from north to south while Myanmar wants eco-distance system in east to west boundary. It is highly unlikely that this will soon be resolved without referring it to the UN. Meanwhile, both parties do need to exercise restraint and refrain themselves from any exploration activity in territory until the dispute is resolved.
IT is really unfortunate that Bangladesh and Myanmar naval vessels are now positioned face to face at the Bay of Bengal over maritime dispute triggered by commencement of offshore drilling by a Korean company engaged by the government of Myanmar.
The government of Bangladesh has already conveyed its deep concern to that of Myanmar summoning the latter's envoy twice to Dhaka foreign office. The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh is moving to Yangoon to discuss with the ruling authorities there in an effort to pacify tension and resolve the matter through discussion. Meanwhile, Dhaka has sought Beijing's help in resolving its dispute with Yangoon over the rights of offshore oil and gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
There is no way Bangladesh can take this matter at all lightly. Only a few weeks back the Vice Chairman of Myanmar ruling government during his visit reportedly assured Bangladesh that Myanmar would not embark on any drilling in disputed areas of the Bay of Bengal and would resolve the boundary dispute through bilateral discussions under the UN guideline. Meetings between the parties for this purpose are also due soon. Now what has prompted them to go for this unilateral and provocative action?
Bangladesh has requested Myanmar to immediately stop all its activities as per Bangladesh government's 1974 Territorial Water and Maritime Zones Act. Myanmar has been made aware that the government of Bangladesh has the right to protect its interest. In this situation, it will not be improper to consider Myanmar's unilateral action as a fragrant violation of Bangladesh's territorial integrity. If it fails to get the required response, the government of Bangladesh must leave nothing unturned to protect the country's territorial integrity.
It may be mentioned here that despite having potentially very bright prospects of getting substantially large petroleum resources in Bangladesh's territorial waters, Bangladesh did not take proper and timely initiative to explore it. It even failed to achieve any meaningful progress in delimiting maritime boundary. It also did not earlier protest the unilateral drilling initiatives of India and Myanmar in areas adjacent to or even within its territorial water. Bangladesh has started starving for gas while its neighbours are taking advantage of its hibernation.
Bangladesh should seriously consider the option of going to the UN and referring the issue to International Court of Justice if its neighbours continue to make efforts to encroach its maritime boundary and also if its diplomatic initiatives fail to work. It cannot afford to compromise the country's sovereign right on resources.
The Bangladeshi experts outside the government, having knowledge of legal issues of maritime dispute, do need to share those with the government. Myanmar's action must not be considered an isolated incident. It is not very unlikely that the other neighbouring country may soon follow this. Reportedly, Indian Companies ONGC and GAIL also have interest in several blocks in Myanmar with Korean Daewoo. So it may be a test case for other ventures.
For several months, Bangladesh has been discussing with the ruling authorities in Myanmar for bilateral cooperation. Trade, energy, communication, etc. came under discussions. It is not clearly known as to whether the issues relating to the demarcation of the maritime boundary and the off-shore drilling activities in yet-disputed territories did seriously figure in the discussions. If so, then what was the outcome?
The delimitation of maritime boundary is, of course, one of the main issues that relates to deep-water exploration of hydro-carbon resources. Bangladesh has not taken this at all seriously. As a result, the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar and also between Bangladesh and India is yet to be demarcated, fulfilling the requirements of the UN as per law of the sea.
The Bay of Bengal is now among the current focus of oil and gas exploration activities by Myanmar and India. Bangladesh, despite its serious gas crisis, could only make some plans to take experts' help from a number of foreign countries for the job of demarcating maritime boundary. Now with the crisis taking a serious turn, the government must expedite its efforts to complete this process so that it can take effective moves at the international level help address the problem.
In this context, it will not be out of context to mention that delay of Bangladesh in engaging international oil companies (IOCs) for exploration in deep water will only help neighbours. What makes this delay? Is it threat from neighbours? Or is it their weak managerial capacity of the government?
Geologists and petroleum/reservoir engineers are confident that Bangladesh off-shore has tremendous oil and gas prospects. On its part, the government of Bangladesh has taken a too long-time to do the needful for the purpose of starting the exploratory activities while its neighbours are up and doing to explore the related possibilities of striking oil and gas reserves in the Bay of Bengal.
The dispute on maritime boundary delimitation between Bangladesh and Myanmar centres around Bangladeshi views to demarcate, on an equity basis, from north to south while Myanmar wants eco-distance system in east to west boundary. It is highly unlikely that this will soon be resolved without referring it to the UN. Meanwhile, both parties do need to exercise restraint and refrain themselves from any exploration activity in territory until the dispute is resolved.