Mekong Watch CATFISH TALES
9 December 2002 Issue #9
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CONTENTS
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Winter Greetings.
2. JAPANESE ODA POLICY NEWS: JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY
(JICA) BEGINNING PROCESS TO ESTABLISH ENVIRONMENTAL/SOCIAL GUIDELINES. 3
December 2002
JICA has established a committee to give recommendations for environmental
and social guidelines to cover all JICA operations. JICA is in a rush to
meet a March deadline. NGOs and Committee members are expressing concern
about the process from the beginning.
3. JAPANESE ODA POLICY NEWS: NEW COUNTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR
VIETNAM. 20 November 2002
A process to revise the Japanese government's Country Assistance Program
for Vietnam has begun. The process is being led by a professor who has
devised an "open network system," enabling input from a broad range of
stakeholders, but also giving himself significant control over the final
outcome. Summary of the NGO consultation is provided. Opinions can be
sent to MOFA.
4. SOLIDARITY ACTION: PAK MUN VILLAGERS (THAILAND) SEND LETTER OF SUPPORT
TO KAWABE RIVER (JAPAN). 15 November 2002.
Villagers of the Pak Mun sent a letter of support to communities
protesting the planned construction of the Kawabe Dam in Kumamoto
Prefecture, Japan.
5. TO SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE
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1. Note from the Editor: Winter Greeetings
Looking back on the past year...
Mekong Watch has been involved in the establishment of JBIC's new
environmental guidelines, a series of public consultations for JBIC's
complaints procedure, and had a happy moment when the Hin Krut and Bor Nok
coal-fire power plant projects (Thailand) were shelved. We are now seeing
the beginning of JICA's process to develop its environmental/social
guidelines.
We have also had a couple unhappy moments, such as the Japanese
government's blind approval of the grant for the repair of the Baluchaung
hydropower plant (Burma) and the recent closing of the Pak Mun Dam flood
gates (Thailand).
So while we have had some successes, the challenges continue. We hope that
all of you will find strength in your successes of the past year to inspire
you in facing the challenges which await.
With best wishes and in solidarity,
Mekong Watch
PS: Next issue of Catfish Tales will be in mid-January.
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2. JAPANESE ODA POLICY NEWS: JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY
(JICA) BEGINNING PROCESS TO ESTABLISH ENVIRONMENTAL/SOCIAL GUIDELLINES (3
December 2002)
On 3 December, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) held the
first meeting of the "JICA Environmental and Social Guidelines Revision
Committee." This Committee was established to make recommendations for a
new set of comprehensive environmental and social guidelines to cover all
JICA operations. At this point, JICA has separate social/environmental
guidelines for 20 separate operational sectors, but no guidelines covering
its operations as a whole.
JICA is the Foreign Ministry's implementing agency of grant aid and
technical assistance. JICA also conducts master plans and feasibility
studies for development projects at the early stages of planning, and some
of these studies have lead to the implementation of (environmentally
destructive) development projects.
Since the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has established
its Environmental Guidelines, which will go into full effect in October
2003, JICA has come under pressure to establish new comprehensive
guidelines of its own by next spring.
While it is good that JICA has begun this process, there are concerns,
which include:
1. Ministerial heavyweights: Of the 21 Committee members, 10 are from
ministries, JICA and JBIC--three of whom are from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. With a committee so heavily weighted with bureaucrats, there is
concern that the interests of the ministries will have a significant impact
on the outcome of the committee's work.
2. Choice of Committee Chairperson: JICA invited a professor who has
expertise in Construction Management, and little background in
socio-environmental issues. When requested by JICA to chair the committee,
he put forward three conditions which basically gave him total authority
over choice of committee members and the content of anything produced by
the committee. Why JICA agreed to these conditions is unclear [when this
became known to committee members, however, several expressed a degree of
indignation. One made it known that he would resign from the committee if
it is not made more democratic].
3. Gender Imbalance: There is only one woman on the committee, and none
of the committee members have expertise in gender as it relates to
environment and development.
4. Rushed Process: The Revision Committee is expected to formulate
recommendations for the guidelines after a series of about 5
meetings. Committee members come from academia, ministries, and NGOs, but
very few are actually very familiar with details of JICA's work and the
social and environmental issues JICA must consider in its operations.
5. Scope of Guidelines: the Foreign Ministry plays a very prominent role
in much of the decision-making regarding JICA's operations, and yet the
guidelines are for JICA only. This is a potentially large loophole in
ensuring that social and environmental factors are sufficiently considered.
WHY IS MEKONG WATCH INVOLVED?
The grant to repair the Baluchaung Hydropower Plant No2 in Burma, and the
Kok Ing Nan Water Diversion Project in Thailand are both projects of
concern which Mekong Watch has been monitoring. These are two examples of
projects for which there are potentially very serious social and
environmental consequences. While new environmental guidelines were
established for JBIC, these two projects (grant aid and development study
respectively) are supervised by JICA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
and therefore do not come under JBIC operations. These projects,
therefore, fall outside JBIC's guidelines.
Mekong Watch has become involved in the process to develop JICA's new
environmental guidelines in hopes that the new guidelines will become a
useful tool which communities can use to address and prevent negative
impacts from grant aid and other ODA operations outside of JBIC's
jurisdiction.
WHAT's NEXT?
The second meeting of the Revision Committee will be held on 18 December
2002. JICA is now accepting comments regarding the guidelines by e-mail
at: jicapvg@jica.go.jp
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3. JAPANESE ODA POLICY NEWS: NEW COUNTRY STRATEGY FOR VIETNAM (20
November 2002)
BACKGROUND
The Japanese Foreign Ministry is now in the process of revising its Country
Assistance Program for Vietnam, and is accepting public input. This
process was born out of a recommendation in the Final Report of the Second
Consultative Committee on ODA Reform released in March 2002
<http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/reform/report0203.html>. This report
calls for the establishment of the Board on Comprehensive ODA Strategy, and
one of the Board members, Professor Ken-ichi Ohno, is leading this revision
process.
"OPEN NETWORK SYSTEM"
Professor Ken-ichi Ohno has been involved in ODA projects in Vietnam for
several years. He is eager to incorporate what he sees as the comparative
advantages Japan has into the new country strategy for Vietnam. He has
devised an "open network" system for this revision process to enable a
variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, Vietnamese government agencies,
industries, academics, and international aid agencies, to input into the
strategy. Input from various stakeholders is of course valuable. But
because Professor Ohno and Counsellor Mitsuru Kitano of the Japanese
Embassy in Vietnam are the only two consistent members of this process,
they have a disproportionately significant influence in what eventually
becomes the Country Assistance Program for Vietnam, and NGOs expressed
concern about this.
TOKYO NGO CONSULTATION
Professor Ohno and the Foreign Ministry organized the first consultative
meeting with Japanese NGOs working on development in Vietnam on 20 November
in Tokyo. Mekong Watch also participated in this meeting where various
issues were discussed.
Comments on Japanese ODA in Vietnam included:
1. In regard to the infrastructure projects supported by the Japan Bank
for International Cooperation, more attention must be paid to the
environmental and social impacts, both in Vietnam and across borders in the
Mekong Region.
2. The Japanese embassy and JICA did not utilize information from NGOs,
leading to a tendency for much ODA to be ineffective.
3. The Japanese embassy is sometimes too slow in evaluating situations
requiring aid, and even when it does, there have been cases when the aid
went unknown at the grassroots level.
4. While the Foreign Ministry is experimenting with an "NGO Embassy," more
is required to ensure that this does not become a simple cosmetic
change. Concrete improvements from the Japanese embassy's side are
necessary, and NGOs also must be more active in asserting their opinions on
policy.
Concerns were also expressed regarding the short notice given for the
meeting, and questions were raised about how the Country Assistance Program
would actually be implemented.
It was promised that notice of future consultations would be released in a
more timely manner, that information would be uploaded onto MOFA's website,
and that the public can also express their opinions by e-mail.
If one examines the overall role of Japanese ODA in Vietnam, contributions
to large infrastructure projects, such as power plants, dams, and roads
stand out. Other major donors have been reluctant to finance such
projects due to their serious social and environmental impacts, including
involuntary resettlement. It is crucial that the lessons regarding
environmental and social impacts of past infrastructure projects are
learned well, and that these lessons are incorporated into the new Country
Assistance Program for Vietnam.
FUTURE SCHEDULE
Nov 2002-March 2003: Consultations with various stakeholders (NGOs,
businesses, academics, Vietnamese government agencies and other donors)
End of March 2003: Submission of first draft of the proposal for the
Vietnam Country Assistance Program to the Board on Comprehensive ODA
Strategy. The draft will be made public for comment through the internet,
meetings, seminars and consultations.
End of September 2003: Submission of final proposal for the Country
Assistance Program to the Board on Comprehensive ODA Strategy.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT?
To send comments regarding the Japanese government's Country Assistance
Program for Vietnam: vietnam.cap@mofa.go.jp
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4. SOLIDARITY ACTION: PAK MUN ACTIVISTS (THAILAND) SEND LETTER OF SUPPORT
TO KAWABEGAWA (JAPAN). 15 November 2002
Villagers protesting the closing of the gates of the Pak Mun Dam sent a
letter of encouragement to communities protesting a planned dam on the
Kawabe River in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The movement against the
Kawabe Dam began last year. In March of this year, a member of "Fukuoka
Citizens to Save the Kawabe River" visited the Pak Mun villagers and
carried a message to them from Japan. The Pak Mun villagers sent the
letter below in time for a parade on November 24, organized in Kumamoto
City to protest the Kawabe Dam and the compulsory expropriation of fishing
rights.
The letter contents are as follows:
We are writing this letter as we continue our sit-in in front of the
Government House. Other of our members are also gathered in our "Village
of the Eternal Mun River" at the edge of the Pak Mun Dam in Ubon Ratchatani
Province in Northeast Thailand. We have had to come to Bangkok to protest
against the government more times than we care to count. We who are
fighting the Pak Mun Dam, however, will continue our struggle no matter how
long it takes, and no matter what consequences we may have to face for our
protest to the government. Why do we struggle? Because for us, there is
a river; we believe that happiness comes from living in harmony with the
many species of fish which are born from this rich environment and seeing
our children and grandchildren inherit this river. We struggle for a
peaceful livelihood.
We know that you are now struggling against the construction of a dam on
the Kawabe River. We raise a strong and loud cheer for you. We believe
that your struggle is the same as ours, to secure a peaceful
livelihood. The struggle is for justice and for the rights we can
justifiably claim as human beings. We may never see a day when governments
will understand what it means to live in harmony with nature and lead a
livelihood in harmony with rich natural resources. This is why you must
protect your own happiness. You must avoid being put under the control of
the greedy who exchange natural resources for economic gain. If you do
not, your lives will be full of hardship and misery like we, the Pak Mun
villagers, have had to face for the past 10 years.
These 10 years, we have had to live in extreme poverty. This has been the
situation since our river was destroyed by the Pak Mun Dam. The fish of
the Mekong River could not overcome the barrier of the dam. We lost the
food that nature had provided, and we now have not enough income. But
every day requires more money to live. To support our daily lives, our
youth have had to migrate to the cities for cheap wages from hard labor to
substitute what we were once able to earn from selling fish.
We believe that once a dam is constructed, no matter where it is, the
resulting losses and suffering are the same. We join you in your struggle,
and send you our encouragement. To protect the harmonious relationship
between nature and our communities is to struggle against the interests of
the politically and economically powerful. No matter what you face in your
struggle, do not give up and build your strength.
We pray for your success in your struggle.
With respect,
Members of the Assembly of the Poor and Villagers of the Eternal Mun River.
15 November 2545 (Christian Calendar 2002)
From in front of the Government House
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