Conference Paper: Ethics in Humanitarian Assistance for Host Communities
Aung Zaw Win (Total E&P) | Swe Swe Win (Total E&P Myanmar)
SPE-168388-MS
SPE International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment, 17-19 March 2014, Long Beach, California, USA
Society of Petroleum Engineers
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/168388-MS

Abstract
Since 1995, Total has been involved in gas production activities in southern Myanmar as operator of the Yadana consortium. Besides its industrial activities, the company is also running a socio-economic program covering 33 villages, several of them located near the seashore. In 2012, one of these villages suffered from coastal erosion, resulting in the destruction of 12 houses by strong waves.

In order to prevent further damage during the following monsoon, local authorities decided to relocate the whole village up in the orchards on the hill at the back of the village. They planned to ask some orchard owners to donate portions of land, and to use laborers from the community for moving the houses. They also requested O&G companies operating in the area (Total E&P Myanmar (TEPM) among others) to assist with heavy machines and manpower for leveling the ground planned for relocation.

When it received the request, TEPM found itself in a dilemma. Putting safety on top of its priorities, and committed by its Ethics Charter to support local communities, the company was willing to get involved in a project aimed at protecting villagers against natural hazards. On the other hand, displacement of a community is a sensitive matter that can lead to violation of human rights (forced relocation, seizure of land, compulsory labor) that the same Ethics Charter commits to promote. The question appeared particularly difficult to handle after the TEPM socio-economic team witnessed on the ground that some villagers were not convinced by this plan, while some others did not fully understand what was about to happen. Therefore, before accepting the request from local authorities, the company had to take proper steps to ensure it would not be taken into a process where the rights of the villagers to live in a safe place would come into conflict with their other fundamental rights.

The contribution presents the different steps and the exhaustive dialogue initiated by the company between the multiple stakeholders to ensure that this project could and would be handled in full respect of villagers’ rights, and whether the company would be involved or not.