The Dawei Development Association has alleged that planning and construction work undertaken thus far in the Dawei SEZ project, has come without the free, prior and informed consent of local stakeholders.

The Dawei project, located in eastern Burma, has been delayed since ousted Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament last December.

The massive Dawei project has taken a new twist, as no interested bidders have applied for concessions opened in February for three jobs: a dual-lane highway linking Thailand with the site in eastern Burma, a small port, and a 48 sq.km industrial estate.

After years of uncertainty, the prospects of the massive Dawei project took a recent twist when Thailand and Burma officially tied the knot to push the ambitious scheme forward.

The 75-year concession granted to Italian-Thai Development Plc in Dawei remains in place, but construction of the deep-sea port has stopped while the participation of international investors is being arranged, a spokesman for the Burmese government said.

Attempts by Thai and Burmese officials to persuade Japan to invest in the Dawei Special Economic Zone have ended fruitlessly, DVB has learned