So the water summit held in Chiangmai, 14-22 May, is over with 9 countries (including Burma, Brunei, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) signing a document, dubbed theChiangmai Declaration, pledging to prevent their economies and societies from flood and drought.
Environmental groups meanwhile also organized their own forum on alternative water management.

According to reports that came out, concerns expressed at the Chiangmai gatherings were more about deteriorating environment and economies caused by flood and drought.


SHAN on the other hand would like to discuss about water being a life-and-death security issue for nations like Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam that exist downstream of the Salween and the Mekong rivers, whose headquarters are in China.

Which means that unless these countries can be rest assured of their giant neighbor’s eternal friendship and goodwill, placing excessive dependence on these rivers may prove to be an invitation to disaster – a catastrophic one. They will find themselves, all of a sudden, at the mercy of China, doing its biddings against their own interests.

After all, what’s a country without water. (unless you have oil instead)?

Which brings to mind movies that we have watched and books that we have read about the 19th century American West when we were young: big ranchers being licked by smart farmers, who held the water rights (and who also happened to be good with guns of course).

“Who controls the water controls the range, for without water the range is useless,” wrote the late Louis L’amour. One might add: so is a country.

So what’s the alternative? For a country like Burma, it should-for dear life-see to it that the Irrawaddy and its tributaries are all in the supreme state of preservation. It must never hesitate to say “no” to megadams and the likes. Our hope therefore is that the Myitsone dam project remains closed forever.

For the Shan State and especially Shans, it is time to realize the meaning of songs like “As long as the Namkhong (Salween) flows, Shan State will last” by Sai Hsaimao go deeper than they used to fathom. It means that, whether they like it or not, they cannot allow themselves to become subservient to the idea that their future ties in with the Salween. Or they will find themselves being given their most coveted prize, Independence, without having to fight, because our Burmese rulers, let alone ourselves, do not want to be kings in a waterless country anymore.

Maybe it’s time they start to compose songs like, “As long as the Pang (or Teng, Pawn, Hsim, Khuen, Tu and other small rivers) flows, Shan State will last.”
They would be more realistic and more reassuring.