The Wiki-hits just keep on coming:
US diplomats privately pressurised the Bangladeshi government into reinstating a controversial coal mine which had been closed following violent protests, a leaked diplomatic cable shows.The US ambassador to Dhaka, James Moriarty, last year held talks with the country's chief energy adviser, urging him to approve plans by the British company Global Coal Management (GCM) to begin open-cast coal mining in the country's Phulbari area, in the west of Bangladesh.
GCM were forced to shut down operations in the country in 2006 after a grassroots demonstration turned violent. Three people were killed as soldiers fired at protesters, and several hundred were injured.
But the company has continued to maintain a strong presence in the country and has continued to lobby for rights to operate the coal mine ever since. Earlier this month, Steve Bywater, GCM's chairman, said that a Bangladeshi parliamentary standing committee had recommended that the country moves towards extracting coal reserves using open-cut mining methods.
The government of Bangladesh has not yet given any firm assurances over whether they will give the coal mine project the go-ahead. It remains a deeply contentious issue, with activists fearing the country's natural resources are due to be sold off to a string of foreign investors.
Revelations that the US government continued to push for the Bangladeshi energy adviser to reinstate the plans are likely to cause greater anger among activists, who last month staged a "long march" from Phulbari to Dhaka to demand Asia Energy leaves the country.
In a cable posted by WikiLeaks which was sent in July last year, Moriarty says he had urged Tawfiq Elahi Chowdhury, the prime minister's energy adviser, to authorise coal mining, saying that "open-pit mining seemed the best way forward".
In case you were wondering why the presence of an open-pit coal mine---which would, after all, bring much-needed jobs and revenue---would be such a source of contention in a poor nation like Bangladesh:
If implemented, the Phulbari Coal Project would displace as many as 220,000 people, including some 2,200 indigenous households, while also reducing their water supplies. The vast mine would destroy one of the most important agricultural regions in Bangladesh, a country where nearly half of all people do not have enough food. The project also threatens a wetlands UNESCO-protected mangrove forest that serves as a vital barrier against cyclones and floods, poses the risk of acid rain contamination of soil and water, and would spew massive amounts of greenhouse gases into our troubled atmosphere [...]On August 26, 2006, as many as 70,000 people marched toward GCM’s office in Phulbari to protest the proposed coal mine. Tragically, paramilitary forces opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators, killing three people, including a 14-year old boy. Over 100 people were wounded, with some suffering severe and permanent injuries. Nation-wide protests and a four-day strike ensued, and were brought to an end only when the government agreed to halt the proposed project and evict GCM.
Glad to see our diplomatic corps has its priorities in order. I'm just trying to figure out what they've got against Happy Meals.
---Vitelius
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