Washington Patriot: 2nd ISSUE OF 2010: REVIEW OF THIBAW

2nd ISSUE OF 2010: REVIEW OF THIBAW

OBI has just released its report card on Thibaw.

Sector Rating as of 10:50am Rating as of 1:00pm
Public/Gov’t D-
Social (NGO’s) C
Private
-Wordsworth: B-
-EnCathay: D-
-Shiloh: No Rating


Rating as of 1:00pm
Public/Gov’t F
Social (NGO’s)C+
Private
-Wordsworth: C+
-EnCathay: D-
-Shiloh: B

• Public sector in Thibaw lacks transparency and has not show any plan to implement its talk of democratic elections next year.

• Social sector is making progress on its own but needs to begin to work more closely with each other to achieve their collective goals to help the Thibawan People.

• Private sector is fragmented. As with the public sector, the world requires more information regarding the plans and operations of its activities within Thibaw. EnCathay lacks transparency and has not improved between reports. Wordsworth has made a commitment to ethics but has yet to publicly announce concrete environmental plans for their pipeline development. After additional discussions with OBI, Wordsworth has still not been forthcoming with their future plans. OBI did not have enough information on Shiloh to give a rating on their first report card, but have now rated them as a B, the highest rating of any energy company on the report card. OBI will be providing more details at their press conference.


Environmental Concerns

The people of Thibaw are very concerned about the destruction of the teak forests, a concern that is shared by Shared Heritage International. Additionally, SHI is concerned about overall environmental impacts of oil exploration in Thibaw and is “looking forward to working with energy companies to find environmentally sound solutions for exploration,” according to John Sartorius. SHI has committed to providing a full, in-depth analysis, which will be available exclusively through the Washington Patriot in our 4pm issue.

Human Rights Issues

There are many human rights organizations, such as Humanity First, with interests in Thibaw. They vary in their opinions of the situation in Thibaw, but all are concerned about the unfair treatment of the Thibawan people. We had the privilege of meeting with several locals, including a representative from the Tanyan community. The Tanyan population has made a commitment to stop guerilla attacks, provided the Thibawan government assist their community with building schools and healthcare systems, and providing electricity. As the government declined comment to The Patriot, the results of this promise remain to be seen. Humanity First has also committed to providing an in-depth analysis, which will be available in our 4pm issue.

Oil Exploration

Wordsworth has been given a lot of play in the news lately, as it combats accusations from environmental groups that oppose its development in Thibaw. Their stock price has been dropping, which is likely a result of all the negative press.

Although they have received less publicity, Shiloh also has significant interests in Thibaw. They are working to promote US interests in the country. Because of all the ongoing events in the country, Americans have a vested interest in Thibaw, not only socially and politically, but also economically. More information will be presented in our 4pm issue.