B'desh, Myanmar mobilise warships in Bay of Bengal

DHAKA: Bangladesh and Myanmar have mobilised more warships in the Bay of Bengal even as diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve the row over Yangon's attempt to explore hydrocarbon in the disputed maritime boundary.
    
"The foreign secretary (Mohammad Touhid Hossain) is set to leave here for Yangon after midnight tonight in a bid to resolve the crisis," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
    
He said Hossain would lead a high-powered 3-member delegation for a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart and ask the secluded country to remove all structures from the disputed waters until a sea boundary was demarcated.
    
The foreign ministry's comments came as sources in the defence ministry said that Bangladesh Navy mobilised two more ships last night with Myanmar reinforcing its position by sending one more warship near the disputed area.
    
"The five Bangladeshi and three Myanmar warships were anchored at the disputed waters while our (navy) officers asked their counterparts to take away the rig installed to explore oil and gas," a defence official said preferring anonymity.
    
The South Korean rig, however, stopped operations and "the Myanmar navy so far showed nothing which can be called provocative."
    
The private bdnews24 news agency, earlier today, reported that authorities in Myanmar were going ahead with oil and gas exploration activities despite Bangladesh's repeated protests.
    
Foreign advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, earlier in the day, reiterated Dhaka's position on resolving crisis through "diplomatic means, not by conflict".

"Bangladesh has so far refrained from energy exploration in disputed waters. It is our hope Myanmar will do the same. But let it also be understood that we will do all that it takes to protect our sovereignty," Chowdhury said.
    
Myanmar last week started offshore oil and gas exploration activities in the disputed waters of the Bay of Bengal, around 60 nautical miles off Saint Martin's Island.
    
Officials said according to a verbal agreement, the two countries pledged not to carry out oil and gas exploration in the waters they both claim but Myanmar awarded a contract to a South Korean company to explore fuel in the disputed waters.
    
Bangladesh summoned the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka two days ago and handed over a strong note of protest after Yangon intruded into disputed waters area, which is claimed by both the countries.
    
"The note categorically emphasised that the government of Bangladesh reserves the right to protect its interests and urged the government of Myanmar to ensure the withdrawal of their marine vessels and stoppage of any exploration work until the delimitation of maritime boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar is resolved," the spokesman said.
    
Myanmar's oil and gas exploration bid began in the disputed territory at a time when the two next-door neighbours were in a dialogue to demarcate their maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, believed to be full of mineral resources.
    
The first round of talks in April ended inconclusively in Dhaka while both the sides agreed to continue with the dialogue to reach a conclusion and meanwhile refrain from intruding into the disputed area.

During a recent visit of a leader of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council to Bangladesh in October, Yangon re-assured Dhaka that they would not carryout any work in the disputed maritime boundary area until the issue is settled.     

Bangladesh shares the Bay with India and Myanmar but has not demarcated the sea territory with them and this is creating disputes mainly in offshore oil and gas explorations.
    
Officials said none of the countries have so far claimed their marine boundaries before the United Nations (UN).
    
Dhaka and New Delhi held a three-day talk here in September this year after a gap of 28 years. The officials could not reach on any agreement over the mid-flow of the cross-boundary Haria bhanga river, considered crucial for demarcation of maritime border.
    
Bangladesh needs to lodge claims over its maritime boundary to the International Seabed Authority by 2011 as per the UNCLOS deadline of 2011.