Local residents have expressed concern over the emergence of wastewater, polluted water, and severe foul odors near the oil storage facility on Made Island, Kyaukphyu Township, where Chinese projects are located in the Arakan region.
The wastewater, polluted water, and bad odors reportedly began appearing in the first week of June. Residents said that project officials have been searching for the source using heavy excavators, but no detailed explanation about the incident has been provided yet.
In addition, strong odors similar to ammonia have reportedly been coming from the oil storage facility for nearly a month. A man working at one of the projects on Made Island said that excavators have been used to search for the source, security has been tightened around the area, and machinery operations are only being conducted at night.
Furthermore, polluted water has been flowing into the river, causing difficulties for local residents who depend on fishing and other river-based livelihoods near the coast.
On the other hand, local residents suspect that the pollution may have resulted from leaks of wastewater discharged from oil and gas pipeline facilities and factories. A Kyaukphyu resident said that if the foul odors and pollutants cause environmental contamination, local people will be the ones to suffer the consequences because there is no clear party taking responsibility, and they have called for transparent disclosure of information.
In addition, since Made Island is located along the Thanzit River surrounding Kyaukphyu Township, Chinese project monitoring groups said that local authorities need to conduct investigations to determine whether the pollutants flowing into the river contain toxic substances.
The oil and natural gas project exports and sells resources worth up to US$7 billion annually, and more than US$500 million from this revenue is reportedly received by Myanmar’s military authorities, according to a report released by Arakan Oil Watch (AOW) in April 2025.
Made Island has important facilities for storing, processing, and controlling oil and gas transported by pipeline to China, as well as a deep-sea port capable of accommodating large vessels. Construction of these facilities began in 2010. However, local residents say that there has still been no transparent disclosure regarding whether waste disposal from the facilities has caused environmental impacts.
Photo: Social Media.
