Pipeline Project in Myanmar

Richard DeRoy’s comments about Unocal’s Yadana project in his May 31 commentary about Burma are false and outrageous. There is no slave labor being used on the project. No villages are being relocated for the pipeline. I visited seven villages in the region in April, including two Karen villages--one of which had earlier been falsely reported as relocated.

Our project will develop gas reserves in the offshore Yadana field primarily for the expanding power market in neighboring Thailand. We’re also looking at domestic uses of the gas to generate electricity and manufacture fertilizer. Unocal has a 28% interest. The project operator is Paris-based Total.

Some people argue that the U.S. government should try to isolate the current regime, specifically by withdrawing investment. However, the United States would be alone in taking such action, since Myanmar’s ASEAN neighbors and major European trading partners--including France, Germany and the United Kingdom--support a policy of working with the country to bring about economic development and provide a foundation for a peaceful transition to democracy.

The Yadana project has already had a strong positive impact in the small region of the country where our pipeline crosses a 40-mile strip of land to reach the border with Thailand. About 20,000 people representing Karen, Mon, Burman and other ethnic groups live in and around 13 principal villages in this area. We work with representative committees in each village to help recruit project workers, resolve land use issues, and guide our decisions about where to place community development dollars.

I am proud of our involvement with the Yadana project. It will provide substantial, long-term benefits to the people of Myanmar and help open the country to new ideas and opportunities.

JOHN F. IMLE JR.

President, Unocal

El Segundo