Huge gas deposits off Myanmar's coast have sparked an international scramble for a slice of the action, which strengthens the military government but brings only more trouble for impoverished locals.
They are the largest gas deposits in this energy-hungry region. In an attempt to curry favour, India provided government loans and the South Korean company Daewoo gave the junta an arms factory. But it is China that will take the gas home. The contracts for three offshore blocks were signed last year, three days after Beijing vetoed a UN resolution criticising Myanmar's human rights record.
At the centre of this bonanza is the sleepy island of Rambree.
Rambree was once the scene of heavy fighting between the British and Japanese in the second world war. Today, the principal activities are fishing, agriculture and playing soccer on the beach. Soon, it will be the starting point for a pipeline carrying gas and oil to China.
Foreigners are not welcome.
The gas deposits in the Shwe ('Golden') A1 block, a few nautical miles off the coast, are worth between US$37 billion and US$52 billion. The waters covering this treasure have been closed to local fishermen and it is impossible to witness the work going on there.