Air pollution from Hsipaw coalmine affecting health
Residents in the northern Shan State
township of Hsipaw have been struck by respiratory ailments and other health
issues, including 10 cases of tuberculosis (TB).
 |
| Photo by SHRF: coal mining site in Nam Ma area, Hsipaw Township, northern Shan State. |
Many attribute the crisis to the Nam
Ma coal mine, which, they say, has created severe air pollution over the past
few years, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Shan Human Rights
Foundation (SHRF).
Local villagers have raised concerns
that the recent increase in TB cases is directly linked to years of breathing
in dust and other pollutants from the mine, as well as a longstanding lack of
accessible health care and disease control programs in the area, the report
says.
“Ten villagers [eight men and two
women] from five villages have been diagnosed as suffering from TB by
Hsipaw Hospital, almost all since 2015,” SHRF reported. “Half of the patients
live in Na Koon village, next to the Na Koon coal mine, where digging has taken
place since 2004 and expanded significantly since 2014.”
A 70-year-old patient from Na Koon
village explained to SHRF that he was diagnosed with TB in June 2015. His
illness has caused a great financial burden, he said, as he works as a farmer,
growing corn and cassia. He claimed that before becoming ill, his annual income
from farming was 300,000 kyat (US$220), but due to ill health, he now earns
only about 50,000 kyat a year.
“I have a corn farm about two acres
in size, about 130 meters from the Na Koon coal mining site,” he told SHRF. “Whenever
I go to work at my farm, there is an awful smell from there. I can’t even eat
my meal there due to the awful smell.”
Operations at the large-scale coal
mine are contracted to Ngwe Yi Pale Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ngwe Yi Pale
group. The corporation is also one of the biggest manufacturers of sugar and
cement in Burma. It oversees three mining sites in Shan State: Na Koon; Pieng Hsai and Parng Nga, all of
which are in Hsipaw Township.
 |
| Photo by SHRF: coal mining site in Nam Ma area, Hsipaw Township, northern Shan State. |
Protests by locals forced the
closure of the Pieng Hsai mine in 2015. But operations continue unabated at the
remaining two sites.
On June 29, Shan Herald
reported that more than 600 people in Nam Ma area staged a protest against the Ngwe Yi Pale firm, demanding a suspension
of mining operations in the area.
“We want the company executives to understand the
difficulties villagers are facing and cease their operations,” said Sai Hor
Hseng, a spokesperson for SHRF, speaking to Shan Herald on Tuesday. “We
also urged the villagers to be aware of what is going to happen in their
community. If they know in advance, they can come together to protest against it.
“The government has a responsibility to take care of
its people because it was these people who elected it to represent them. Now
people are suffering; the government must step in and solve these problems.”
He added: “The government must suspend all mining
activities in the country. Now is not the right time for these kinds of
operations.”
Some 1,500 people live in seven
villages in Nam Ma tract, and almost all rely on farming as their main
livelihood. Apart from air pollution, SHRF said, the local coal mine has had
myriad negative effects on the local population, including losses of
agricultural lands; the obstruction and contamination of water sources; and
road accidents involving coal trucks.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
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Coalmine has no impact, says natural resources minister
Burma’s Minister of Natural Resources and
Environmental Conservation Ohn Win told parliament on Wednesday that a
controversial coalmining project in Mong Kung Township, southern Shan State,
has had no negative impact upon the environment.
 |
| U Ohn Win, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (left) and Sai Seng Murng, an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Mong Kung Township (right). |
His comments will undoubtedly be
welcomed by the Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter companies, which have recommenced
operations recently at the coal mine in Mong Kung, Loilem District, despite an
agreement to move out of the area by May
13.
The firms had appeared to cave in to public pressure
after more than 4,000 Mong Kung’s residents
staged a protest on April 11 against
the coalmine operations.
Sai Seng Murng, an MP from
the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Mong Kung
Township, said that he had raised questions about the matter with the union
minister in the Lower House, asking firstly, why the government did not listen
to the grievances of local people before approving the coalmine; secondly, what
the government intended to do about the issue; and thirdly, who would take
responsibility for the inevitable destruction caused by the mining operations.
“Union Minister U Ohn
Win replied that the coalmine operations would not cause any impact,” the SNLD lawmaker
told Shan Herald on Thursday. “Minister U Ohn Win also said that he had
received documents from the Shan State government, saying that they agreed to the
project, and that he had reviewed the matter himself, and supported that
coalmine contracts.
“However, the minister
said that as the local population had protested the project, the government had
suspended operations.”
 |
| Coal mining site in Mong Kung Township, Loilem district, southern Shan State. |
The Pyae
Aung Hein and Hein Mitter mining companies had been granted concessions by the
central government to initiate their coalmine operation in Mong Kung Township
in 2014. Although the projects were initially suspended due to local
opposition, they restarted operations again in January this year.
On February 25, more
than 700 people in Mong Kung, including youths, the elderly, monks and
politicians, held a meeting to discuss the coal mine issue. After the meeting,
580 people signed a petition to close down the coalmine.
Locals
say that when the mine reopened, the firms had employed soldiers from the
Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) to guard their
operations.
“Now
they have erected fences that have warnings written in both Shan and Burmese
languages, saying: “Outsiders may not enter,” Sao Ekka Sina, a Buddhist monk
who was one of the demonstration organizers, told Shan Herald on May 15.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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Coalmine companies refuse to withdraw from Mong Kung
The Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter
companies are continuing their coal-mining operations in Mong Kung, despite an agreement to move out of the area by May 13.
 |
| Signboard saying “No Entry Permission” at the Mong Kung coalmine entrance. |
On April 11, more than 4,000 Mong Kung’s residents staged a
protest against the coalmine operations. Two days later, company representatives
met with local community leaders and pledged to cease all mining activities.
“They didn’t keep to the agreement.
They are still there,” said Sao Ekka Sina, a Buddhist monk who was one of the
demonstration organizers. “They now have RCSS soldiers guarding the site.”
Speaking to Shan Herald
today by telephone, he said, “So, yesterday we went to meet their manager, Okka
Kyaw Thu, to discuss this issue. He simply told us that they will not move out.
“Now they have erected fences,
which have warnings written in both Shan and Burmese languages, saying: “Outsiders
may not enter.”
General Yawd Serk, the chairman of the
Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), spoke out on the
matter during a Shan National Day speech on February 7, saying that for any such
operation to proceed, it needs the support of the local people.
Monk and protest organizer Sao Ekka
Sina said that if the two mining firms insist on continuing their operations,
the residents of Mong Kung will continue protesting and holding demonstrations.
He said that the next rally will be
“huge,” with youth groups from across Shan State invited to attend.
 |
| Coal-mining site in Mong Kung Township, southern Shan State |
“We will continue to protest,” he
said. “If we don’t, all our paddy fields near the mining site will be
destroyed.”
Sai Long, an MP from the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Mong Kung Township
Constituency No. 2, said he is following the situation closely.
“The monks are investigating the case, and if the order
[to continue mining operations] came from local
authorities, the protesters will talk with them,” he said. “If the order is
from [RCSS headquarters] Loi Tai Leng, they will go and talk to the leader
there.”
The Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter
companies were granted permission by the central government in Naypyidaw in
2014 to launch coal-mining projects in Mong Kung Township, which is in Loilem
district, southern Shan State. But the mines were soon suspended after growing
opposition from local residents. They restarted operations again in January
this year.
The coal-mining operations would
cause irreparable damage to 2,000 acres of land, including conifer forests, mountains
and farmland, said local sources.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
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RCSS/SSA listens to villagers’ opposition to Mong Kung coal mines
Representatives of the
Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) sat for a meeting yesterday
with local residents in Mong Kung Township to discuss a controversial coal-mining
project in the area, which is located in Loilem
district in southern Shan State.
According to Sao Ekka Sina, a
Buddhist monk representing villagers who oppose the mine, the RCSS/SSA representatives
asked the local people to clarify whether they were against the project and
why.
“We spoke with Lt-Col Sai Sarm,
Maj Saw Jing and Sai Toon from the RCSS/SSA,” said Sao Ekka Sina. “They wanted
to know the background to last month’s protest.”
On April 11, more than 4,000 residents
in Mong Kung staged a demonstration against the
Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter coal-mining companies, claiming that the mining operations
would cause grave environmental destruction and impact the livelihoods
of local people.
Sao Ekka Sina, who was one of
the demonstration organizers, told Shan Herald that the RCSS/SSA
representatives said yesterday that they were not taking sides with either the
villagers or the mining firms, but instead felt it was their responsibility to listen
to local opinions. They told the village assembly that they would also listen
to the mining companies’ perspective.
“We told them [RCSS/SSA] that
we strongly disagree with the mining project,” the monk said. “We have had discussions
with the company managers and they agreed to cease operations and move out of the area by May 13. We told them that if
they continued mining we would resume our protests.”
“The RCSS/SSA has a duty to protect the people,”
said Sai Long, an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing
Mong Kung Township, who attended yesterday’s meeting. “However, the RCSS/SSA
representatives told the villagers that they can only intervene if their
superiors order it.”
The central government in
Naypyidaw granted permission to the Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter companies to
launch the coal-mining projects in Mong Kung in 2014. Their operations were soon
suspended due to local people’s opposition, but earlier this year, they
restarted work on the sites.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
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Hsipaw residents demand their land back
Some 30 local residents of
Hsipaw Township in northern Shan State marched through the streets on Thursday,
demanding the return of lands which were seized by the previous military
government.
 |
| About 30 villagers from Kha Laing in Hsipaw Township marched on the street on April 27, demanding their lands back. |
According to a locally based Shan
Herald reporter: “There were about 30 villagers from Kha Laing protesting
in the street. They were calling for the Shan State chief minister to review
the case, saying that their lands were confiscated by the army more than 30
years ago.”
The villagers claim their land
collectively covered about 11 acres, and that the military used it to house a sawmill.
“The sawmill ceased operating
about seven years ago, and now about 15 villagers are claiming their lands
back,” the reporter said. “In 2014, they also lodged a complaint, urging the
authorities to allow them to grow crops on the land.”
During
the era of the military junta, arbitrary seizures of farmers’ lands were common
across the country, particularly in Shan
State. By the 2000s, much of the seized land had
been rented out to agri-business firms, and a massive government campaign was
initiated to encourage investment in the harvesting of jatropha oil.
Ultimately, the scheme failed; investors lost great sums of money, while
farmers lost land and livelihoods.
Many aggrieved farmers
have taken steps to reclaim their lands since the National League for Democracy
came to power a little over a year ago. However, almost all report that they
have been unsuccessful in their quest and that little has changed under Aung
San Suu Kyi.
On
December 15, Shan Herald reported that a 74-year-old villager in
southern Shan State’s Mongpan Township collapsed and died after a construction
company refused to pay compensation for land it had seized from him.
Nang Kaysi of the Ethnic
Peace and Resources Project (EPRP), an organization that works to support the
peace process in Burma, told Shan Herald that, according to their
survey, a total of about 11,000 acres of farmland have been seized from within
18 townships across Shan State.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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Residents demand halt to gold mining in Mong Phyak
Local residents in eastern Shan State’s Mong Phyak
Township have called for a gold-mining company to cease operations as the work
is damaging their village and the environment.
 |
| Photo by SHRF - Coal mining site in Namma area |
Sai Kham Jan, a
member of the central executive committee of the Shan Nationalities Democratic
Party (SNDP), told Shan Herald today that he had received
complaints from villagers saying they have been impacted by the gold mine.
“The mining is located near Kongmu village, which is
only 10 miles from Mong Phyak,” he said.
“Their operations are too close to the
community. Some parts of the village have been damaged.
“The Maenam Long River runs through our town.
Everyone can see how dirty it is with pollution now.”
The controversial gold-mining project is contracted
to the U Ar Shaing firm; work began at the site at the beginning of this year.
SNDP’s Sai Kham Jan explained that when the company
started the project, they paid each household in the village 60,000 kyat (US$44).
He said the villagers accepted the money because they did not know anything about
gold mining, and they certainly did not know that it would affect their homes
and their land. There are about 60 households in Kongmu village, he said.
Sai Kham Jan said that, to date, the local
government has taken no responsibility for the matter. He accused the local
administration of doing nothing because it does not affect them personally.
Shan Herald reported that on
December 9 one man was killed and another five seriously wounded when they were shot
by soldiers from the Burmese army’s Battalion 330 while they were observing
mining operations in Mong Len, Tachileik Township. Since then, there have been
no reports that the case has been dealt with nor has compensation been paid to
the victims’ families.
On June 27 last year, Shan Herald reported that 35 civil society organizations had demanded that
the ruling National League for Democracy government suspend all mining
operations across the country. However, numerous mining operations continue in
Shan State and other parts of Burma.
Shan State is rich in natural
resources, including gold, coal, rubies and forests. But, due to a lack of management
and governance, these resources are being quickly depleted. Burma ranks as one
of the world’s least transparent countries where management of natural
resources is concerned.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
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Coal-mining companies agree to close down in Mong Kung
The Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter coal-mining companies have both agreed
to halt operations at their sites following a protest by some
4,000 residents in Mong
Kung on April 11.
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| Coal mining site in Mong Kung |
Sao Ekka Sina, a Buddhist monk who was one of the demonstration organizers,
said that representatives of both firms agreed to a cessation in coal mining at
the site after meeting with the representatives of the people of Mong Kung
Township, Loilem district in southern Shan State two days after the
demonstration.
“Nang Harn and Sai Htun, the representatives
from the companies, met with us on April 13,” he said. “There were about 50
people, including monks, village headmen, local authorities and MPs attended
the meeting. The company representatives said they would move out within a
month.
“They said they would end their
operations and never come back,” he said. “However, if they continue to mine,
we will continue to protest. In saying that, I don’t think they will come
back.”
Sai Seng Murng, a Lower House MP from the Shan Nationalities League for
Democracy (SNLD) representing Mong Kung Township, said that he always stood alongside
the voice of the local people.
 |
| Hein Mitter Co., Ltd signboard in Mong Kung |
“I urge every group, including the government, CSOs [civil society
organizations] and media, to keep its eyes focused on the
mining operations in Mong Kung,” he said. “As for the monks and Mong Kung
residents, we strongly oppose this project.”
Local
protesters against the site have maintained that the coal-mining operations
would cause grave environmental destruction in Mong Kung. They said that some
2,000 acres of land, including conifer forests, mountains and farmland, would be
severely damaged.
The Pyae Aung
Hein and Hein Mitter companies were granted permission by the central
government in Naypyidaw to launch coal-mining projects in Mong Kung in 2014. But
the mines were suspended after growing opposition from local residents.
Earlier this year, coal-mining operations restarted, leading to hundreds of people taking
to the streets.
By Shan
Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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4,000 protest coal mine in Mong Kung
Some 4,000
people including politicians, civil servants, youths and Buddhist monks gathered
together this morning in the southern Shan State town of Mong Kung to call for
a halt to a controversial coal mining project in the area.
 |
| Mong Kung’s residents were marching and holding signboards to oppose coal mining in the area. |
Speaking to Shan Herald, Sao Ekka Sina, a
monk who was one of the demonstration organizers, said, “We held a protest
today because we want to protect our environment. The local people here mostly
rely on rice farming, and we are afraid that the mine will damage our rice
fields. What’s more, there are dangers from explosions during the mining.”
The coal mine site is situated in an area called Wan
Loishio, which is in Wan Yard village tract, southern Mong Kung Township.
Sao Ekka Sina said that the protesters marched
through the town and called upon local spirits to protect them and their
environment.
“We curse whoever operates this mine,” he said. “Whoever
digs this coal should be struck down with tragedy; and whoever destroys our
forest should be struck with poverty.”
The mining project is contracted to the Hein Myittar Company, which was originally granted
permission in 2014 by the central government in Naypyidaw to conduct surveys at
the site. However, due to complaints by local people it was initially
suspended. Nonetheless, at the beginning of this year, operations began once
again.
 |
| Mong Kung’s residents were marching and holding signboards to oppose coal mining in the area. |
According to locals in Mong Kung, the coalmine is located on a thousand acres of land,
beginning just a mile and a half from the edge of town, which means it will
hugely impact both people’s health and the environment.
“The coal mining project is located
along a stream, so all the local farmers’ rice fields will be affected,” said
Sao Ekka Sina.
Asked about the Wan Loishio mining project, Sai Seng
Murng, a Lower House MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD),
echoed the local protesters’ view and said that he opposed this mining
operation.
“This mine will destroy the environment. I disagree
with it,” he said. “I am a representative of the people, and I stand with them
on this issue.”
Sai Seng Murng said that he had a meeting with local
people on February 25 when they asked him to help.
“As an MP, I have a responsibility to help our people,”
he said. “I submitted a letter to the Lower House of Parliament on February 26,
and I will wait until the next parliamentary session to hear how the minister
responds.”
He said that the next session of
parliament is scheduled to be held sometime at the end of April.
By Shan Herald Agency for News
(SHAN)
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Burmese environmentalists urge govt to halt dams on Irrawaddy, Salween rivers
A number of Burmese
environmental organizations, including Burma Rivers Network, Save
the Salween Network and The Burma Environmental Working Group (BEWG), released a statement today urging the National
League for Democracy-led government to abandon plans to build more than 50 dams
on the Salween and Irrawaddy rivers, particularly in conflict zones.
 |
| About 300 people gather at Kunhing Township, southern Shan State to protest against dam projects on March 14, 2017. |
“Under Burma’s Energy Master Plan, over 50 planned dams, mostly on the
Salween and Irrawaddy rivers and their tributaries, will massively increase
hydropower production from 3,000 to 46,000 megawatts by 2030,” reads the
statement. “Three-quarters of which will be exported to neighbouring
countries.”
The statement was released to
coincide with the International Day of Action for Rivers, an annual event on
March 14, when protestors around the globe gather to voice opposition against governments
and investors who push through plans to construct hydro-dams in controversial
areas.
On January 27, 2017, Shan Herald reported that the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group which finances
private sector initiatives in many developing countries including Burma,
conducted workshops to promote hydropower projects in the country.
“Foreign investors should not be building dams in Burma’s conflict zones,”
said Mi Ah Chai, coordinator of Burma Rivers Network. “The dams are fuelling
conflict, human rights abuses and displacement, and destroying local
environmental resources,” she said in the joint statement.
Nang Moe Thauk Pan of Save the Salween Network and a joint spokesperson for today’s statement told Shan Herald that
the hydropower projects will affect the peace process – at a point when
negotiations are being tabled to bring together the Burmese government, the
military and ethnic armed groups. Known as the 21st Century Panglong
Conference, or 21CPC, the peace talks are being led by Burma’s State Counselor
Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nang Mao Thauk Pan said, “Fighting
continues in Shan and Karen states, but the government perseveres in trying to
build dams. Clearly, it is going to impact the peace process.”
The statement went on to say that no dams should be built until Burma
becomes a federal union, and that only the people living in those areas should
have the right to decide what should be done with their natural resources.
 |
| About 300 people gather at Kunhing Township, southern Shan State to protest against dam projects on March 14, 2017. |
Environmentalist Nang Moe Thauk Pan said that she stands by this statement
and that people who live along the rivers also stand by the statement.
“We don’t need any dams on the
rivers,” she said. “We want to live peacefully. We love our nature and our
rivers. Our rivers are our lives.”
Events in support of imposing a
ban or suspension on hydroelectric dams were held today in Mon State capital Mawlamyine;
the Kachin State town of Chipwi; Mudraw in Karen State; Kunhing Township in
Shan State; and in Karenni State.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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Environmental groups voice opposition to IFC dam workshops
Leading Burmese environmental groups, including Burma
Rivers Network (BRN) and Save the Salween Network (SSN), today released a
statement, voicing strong opposition to the International Finance Corporation
(IFC), which they say is currently promoting various hydropower projects in areas
that are primarily conflict zones.
 |
| Photo SHRF- 1,500 civilians stage protest against Upper Yeywa Dam construction on November 27, 2016 |
“BRN and SSN oppose any attempts to push ahead with
large dams while conflict continues along Burma’s major rivers, where Burma
Army offensives and systematic abuses have displaced hundreds of thousands, and
where ethnic peoples continue to be constitutionally denied their right to
decide over natural resources in their homelands,” read the statement.
The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group which finances
private sector initiatives in many developing countries including Burma.
The IFC workshops, which are to include seminars
about social and environmental impact
assessments, are scheduled to start today, January 27, in Yangon, Kachin
State capital Myitkyina, and Karenni State capital Loikaw.
Sai Khur Hseng of the Shan
Sapawa Environmental Organization and a joint-spokesperson for today’s
statement told Shan Herald that he strongly disagreed with the IFC
operation.
“I strongly disagree with
their activities,” he said. “Right now, dam constructions have been suspended.
However, the IFC is pushing a hydropower agenda. This workshop is part of their
plan to ensure the dams are built.”
Friday’s statement noted that construction of
mega-dams on the Irrawaddy and Salween rivers will have massive impacts on
local residents and the environment.
“Pushing ahead with projects in conflict zones
reinforces the root causes of conflict, and contradicts the NLD government’s
claims to be promoting democratic federalism,” said Mi Ah Chai, the other
joint-spokesperson for today’s statement.
The blueprints for hydropower
projects on the Irrawaddy River include the 20,000-megawatt chain of Myitsone
dams, while a Salween River proposal would include a series of dams in Shan
State: the 7,100 MW Mong Ton Dam; the 1,400 MW Kunlong Dam; the 1,200 MW Nong
Pha Dam; and the 200 MW Manntaung Dam. The project also includes plans for the 4,000
MW Ywathit Dam in Karenni State, and the 1,360 MW Hat Gyi Dam in Karen
State.
Three countries are
involved in these projects: China (through three state-run firms: Three Gorges
Corporation; Sinohydro; and China Southern Grid); Thailand, via its state-run arm
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand; and Burma’s Ministry of Electric
Power, alongside the International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE), a firm
controlled by the offspring of the late Aung Thaung, the long-time industry
minister under Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s military regime.
Once the proposed projects
are completed, 90 percent of electricity produced is slated to be exported to
China and Thailand.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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Salween River is not for sale, says Shan NGOs
Shan
civic groups held a press conference in Bangkok today, claiming that the Burmese
government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, is working secretly in support of dam construction
on the Salween River, despite knowing that the mega-project will greatly affect
many people.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) in the Thai capital, Sai Khur Hseng of the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization and spokesperson for this morning’s joint-statement, said that the new Burmese government has tried to implement the hydropower projects without caring about the suffering of ordinary people.
“While
all eyes were on the Irrawaddy- Myitsone dam, Burma has quietly sold off the
Salween to China,” said Sai Khur Hseng. “We fear there has been a trade-off.”
“Amidst
the war, Australia’s Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) has been
carrying out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Naung
Pha Dam in secrecy, clearly to avoid the widespread grassroots protests that
blocked its ESIA last year for another Chinese-backed dam on the Salween – the
giant Mong Ton Dam in southern Shan State,” said the statement.
The
civic groups said that on August 5, more than 200 residents Tangyan Township –
an area in line to be flooded by dam construction – staged a protest. Also, on August 21, about 60 community
leaders from Ho Pang, Kunlong, Tangyan, Hsenwi and Lashio, including local Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) MPs, held a demonstration against the
plans in Hsenwi Township.
Representing
environmental organization International Rivers, Pianporn Deetes said that the
Thai government has been attempting to foster good relations with Naypyidaw,
and had also done so with the previous Burmese administration, led by President
Thein Sein, in a bid to push forward its agenda of building dams on the Salween
River.
The
3,000-kilometre Salween River, officially known in Burmese as the Thanlwin, is
listed as the 25th longest
waterway in the world, beginning in the Tibetan plateau, passing through
southern China, Burma and the Thai border, before draining in the Andaman Sea.
“The
Thai government is seeking to build at least three dams on the Salween River, including
the Hatgyi Dam and Mong Ton Dam,” she said. “If the dams are built, there will
be flooding in central Shan State.”
She
continued: “About a million Shan people had to migrate to Thailand due to forced
relocation by the Burma army in the past 20 years. These people have to become
migrant workers who work in construction sites. If the dams are built, they
cannot return home because their houses will be under water. Therefore, they
have to live in Thailand permanently.”
Thai
environmental activist Pianporn Deetes urged the hydropower investors, as well
as both the Thai and Burmese governments, to deeply consider the local people’s
needs when the dams are built.
“There
will huge impact on the environment,” she added. “But, more importantly, there
will be a huge impact on the Shan community as well as human rights abuses.”
Tuesday’s
joint-statement read: “Apart from concerns that the dam will cause increased
fighting and displacement, villagers are fearful of dam breakage in this
earthquake and flood-prone area.
“Ho
Pang, the main Wa township to be impacted by the Naung Pha Dam, has suffered
flooding and several earthquakes in the last few weeks. Ho Pang lies on the Nam
Ting fault line.”
Nang
Charm Tong, a Shan activist and spokesperson for today’s event, said “As they
[the Burmese government] have announced that there will be no gain in terms of
electricity, they should not build dams on the Salween.”
She
added: “We strongly oppose this activity.”
On August 18, Shan Herald reported that 26 Shan-based
organizations had sent an open letter to Burma’s State Counselor and Foreign
Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, during her visit to China. The groups had demanded
that the Burmese government immediately stop all the hydropower projects on the Salween
River.
The
blueprints for a hydropower project on the Salween include a series of dams in
Shan State: the 7,100 megawatt Mong Ton Dam; the 1,400 MW Kunlong Dam; the
1,200 MW Nong Pha Dam; and the 200 MW Manntaung Dam. The project would also
include plans for a 4,000 MW Ywathit Dam in Karenni State, and the 1,360
MW Hat Gyi Dam in Karen State. Investors in the projects include the China
Three Gorges Corporation, a Chinese state-owned firm which operates the world’s
largest dam on the Yangtze River. The other foreign firms involved in the
Salween project are: Sinohydro; China Southern Grid; and a subsidiary of the
state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.
Local
partners are the Burmese Ministry of Electric Power and the International Group
of Entrepreneurs (IGE), a firm controlled by the offspring of the late Aung
Thaung, the long-time industry minister under Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s military
regime.
According
to the related contracts, when the projects are completed, 90 percent of the
electricity generated is to be exported to China and Thailand.
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