Tensions Rise on Burma-Bangladesh Border

There are long-existing points of tension between Bangladesh and Burma such as disputes over maritime boundaries and the movement of illegal goods. One of the most sensitive issued has been the  cross-border trafficking of drugs and the migration of refugees from Burma to Bangladesh. In the last couple of weeks tensions have been mounting with reports of Burmese troop build-ups along the 270 kilometer border. Yangoon is erecting a barbed wire fence along the border and some reports say this coincides with the forced removal of 10,000 Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. This issue is now also involving the U.S. as Conoco-Philips, a U.S. based oil company, is working on a deal with Bangladesh to drill in the contested Bay of Bengal for suspected lucrative natural gas sources.