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Arakan: - One Who Preserves and Takes Care of Their Own Nationality. |
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Publication by Arakan Action Association (AAA.) |
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Arakan Past – Present – Future |
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BY JOHN OGILVY HAY, J.P. |
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Arakan Library was founded by a group of Arakan Action Association (AAA) in exile in Thailand from Burma in 2007 doing to voice for the knowledge, the people democratic and human rights.
Copyright © 2007 Arakan Libray All Rights Reserved. Free counter, Since 2005.
Arakan Action Association (AAA) Chotana Road , Chaing Mai ( 50301 ), Thailand. Email : arakanactionassociation@walla.com , +66—089-637-4383, +66—053-409-577 |
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Burmah.
Rangoon, May 22. The Chinese have made certain proposals, which will obviate the necessity of the Burmo-Chinese Delimitation Commission going over much of the southern frontier of Yunnan, and it is believed that part of these proposals have been accepted. My Fryer arrived from India to-day, and will immediately take over the duties of Chief Commissioner from Mr Smeaton, the Financial Commissioner, who has been carrying on the dual offices. It is probable that the survey of the Shan hills for the railway from Mandalay to Kun-Lon Ferry will be undertaken next cold season, and that Mr Beglay, the engineer who examined the route two years ago, will be in charge. It is also probable that the survey for the line from Burmah to India over the Arakan hills will be made. The outlook in Upper Burmah continues to grow brighter. Sagaing has been removed from the list of districts needing relief, and Magwe and Minbu will soon be in the same position. The Government of India have give a special grant of three and a half lakhs for relief works in the scarcity tracts.
Letter to Captain James Ewert, for many years Commander of a British India Company’s Steamer in the Bay of Bengal. 5th May 1892. You may remember I always has an opinion Akyab should be a great port for the trade of Eastern Bengal in preference to Chittagong, and also for trade from Upper Burmah and China … Now I know no man who could give so much information or a more correct opinion of the two ports than yourself, having entered them so often. I would therefore be obliged if you would at your leisure write me a letter describing Chittagong and Akyab, their advantages and disadvantages, and all the particulars you can give regarding them. Government have lately brought out a railway to be made from Assam via Cacher to Chittagong, that port to be the terminus for the trade. I maintain the line must be continued to Akyab, as the better and more commodious for a large trade. I send under a separate cover a copy of the prospectus of the railway.
Reply. Liverpool, 14th May 1892. Thank you much for the prospectus, which I return, and regret my capital is so arranged and fixed that I cannot enter otherwise. There is, no doubt, a grand opening for those who follow us. As to my experience of the eastern borders of the Bay of Bengal, and the approaches, &c., of the two ports, could have had a better up to the year 1874, when I left, as I had qualified myself as a full-draught pilot under Government for the Hooghly, the Mutlah, and Kurnafullah, holding my cerficates for them; and as a mariner, holding an extramaster’s certificate and passed in sterm, I commanded the mail-steamer from 1st May 1867 to 4th August 1874, when, through ill health, I had to go to Europe. Through these seven years I studied the coast very carefully – its soundings, currents, &c. – going from Chittagong to Akyab, Kyouk Phyoo, and Sandoway, and same ports back again, once a fortnight, in the capacity of captain and pilot for all ports; and my experience is that while Akyab always is an easy port to make, and especially for steamers an easy harbour to enter in all weathers and at all states of tide and times of night or day Chittagong is; to my mind, especially for a foreign-going captain a dangerous port to make, the currents being irregular, soundings being very confusing to one who did not study them closely and a ship might easily get into trouble before a chance of obtaining a pilot; and then the tide in the river is a draw-back, rise and fall being so much greater than at Akyab; and, finally the port itself would not allow two large steamers to swing abreast of the piers. There is also a heavy ground-swell off Chittagong bar, which would snap a cable sometimes if you ventured to anchor while waiting for the tide, and at night you would not think of crossing the bar, while at Akyab I have gone in and out during all hours of the night, and during heavy rains and fogs. I cannot see how there can ever be a doubt that Akyab is the only right harbour for the eastern part of the Bay. There is one thing more I may mention, that during the seven years, all weathers, I never once hesitated to run direct east by north for the table-land of the Borongo; be it ever so thick I could always see the beach in time and spare to alter my course for the entrance to the harbour. Trusting the above may be of some service, - I am, yours respectfully, J. Ewert.
Letter to the Under Secretary of State for India. 5th Jan 1892. No. 17. Sir, - In the report of the Administration of Burmah during 1889-90, pages 12 and 13, the following sentences are found: “The rest of the season was occupied in … and in ascertaining the exact locality of a track known as the ‘Sawbwas’ road, leading from Arakan to the Irrawaddy.” In order to secure the submission of the Chin tribes inhabiting the country between the Minby district and the districts of Akyab and Kyouk Phyoo in Arakan, arrangements were made for a meeting between local officers from these places at Yanan, a village in the hills. The meeting-place was reached in February.” Further, in Lieutenant Walker’s report on the route from Nape (Minbu district) to Akyab via the Aeng Pass, and on the Sawbwas route from the Lemwe to Laungshe, Lieutenant Rainey’s report is referred to more than once as having been acted on in guiding Lieutenant Walker’s explorations; and as to the meeting of officers above referred to, he says: “ I may mention that this is the Lower Yanan route, a route partially traversed in 1890 by Major Creswell, Deputy Commissioner, Akyab, when the expeditions from Akyab, Minbu, and Kyouk Phyoo met at Yanan to hold a durbar.” A reference to my letters of 30th March 1889, 29th July 1889, and No.5 of 25th March 1890, especially the latter, as also Sir John E. Gorst’s letter P.W. 1446 of 16th August 1889, to which the letter is a reply, will show you how much interested I am in these matters; and I beg to ask to be favoured with copies of Lieutenant Rainey’s report of his expedition in 1889-90, and of the separate reports of the officers who assembled at the durbar at Yanan in February 1890. In view of the conference which, according to a Rangoon telegram in this morning’s ‘Times,’ is to be held in Calcutta this month, I would ask for a reply at your earliest convenience. – I am, &c.
Reply. India Office, Whitehall, S.W. 19th Jan. 1892. R. and L.91. Sir, - I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 17, dated the 5th instant, and in reply to inform you that no copies of the reports referred to therein have been received at this Office. – I am sir, your obedient servant, F. C. Danvers, Registrar and Superintendent of Records. J. Ogilvy Hay, Esq.
Third Campaign
For
The Development of Arakan
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In Futurum!
The Finale. The question is, Are the Secretary of State for India and the Government of India in carnest in their desire to carry out the policy expressed to have the railways of India constructed by private enterprise? And they prepared to meet the public, and “Encourage Private Enterprise by all Legitimate Means,” and on “Equable Terms”? Government will not surely now deny the friends of Arakan the privilege of making use of its own resources and capabilities for its development, seeing sixty-six years have elapsed without their having been brought to any profit, either for the Government or the country? Arakan is the highway between India and Burmah, and thence on to China, and railway construction through it will accomplish the following four objects at least : - 1) Connection between India and our most easterly province, Burmah, 2) Means to facilitate migration of the teeming population of Bengal to the rich but waste lands of Arakan and Burmah. 3) The development of the port of Akyab as a great emporium for the inlet and outlet of trade of Eastern Bengal and Burmah-China, which in time must be enormous. 4) The establishment of a great naval station for the protection of all our Eastern possessions bordering on and connected by railways with the Bay of Bengal.
“Let Arakan Flourish!” |