On September 30, marking the 14th anniversary of the temporary suspension of the Myitsone Dam hydropower project under President U Thein Sein, locals renewed calls for its permanent abandonment.
The previous military government began constructing a massive dam in northern Myanmar in 2009, with substantial investment from China. However, on September 30, 2011, during U Thein Sein’s administration, the government announced that the project would be suspended for the duration of his tenure.
“The dam construction has been on hold for 14 years, but we want this suspension to be permanent, not temporary. No matter which government comes to power next, there must be guarantees that the project will never resume. Protecting the sustainability of the Myitsone area is absolutely crucial,” a local woman told MNJ. She added that she hopes the Myitsone area will continue to be preserved for the long term.
The Myitsone area is located about 28 miles north of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, at the confluence of the N’mai Kha and Mali Kha, two main tributaries that merge to form Myanmar’s vital Ayeyarwady River.
Although construction of the Myitsone Dam is currently suspended, she expressed concern that the pause could be undermined by political instability in Myanmar and said she is deeply worried about the possibility of the project resuming after hearing that the junta has reached an agreement with China to restart it.
“Our hope that the Myitsone Dam project would be permanently suspended started to crumble after the coup. We’ve heard that coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, while trying to attract Chinese investment, signed an agreement last year in China to allow the project to resume. We are very worried about this,” she said.
Another Myitsone resident also suggested that if the Chinese project in the upper Ayeyarwady River proceeds, it could have negative consequences not only for local communities but for the entire country, calling for a nationwide effort to stop it.
“The Myitsone project is currently suspended, but that’s only temporary. It could be resumed at any time. What we’re asking for is to make this halt permanent. We, the local people, can’t achieve this on our own. This is an issue that affects everyone, so we all need to get involved,” he emphasized.
When the Myitsone project was first launched, local Tanghpe villagers were evicted by authorities and forcibly relocated to Aungmyinthar and Maliyang villages.
Locals who were forcibly relocated continue to demand the right to return to their homes and reclaim their agricultural lands.
Although the project has been halted, locals are still barred from returning to their original villages. Herders are also kept out, while gold miners have taken over the land, and displaced residents said that ongoing mining is causing extensive damage to their former homes and fields.
In 2024, U Khet Htein Nan, the junta-appointed Kachin State Chief Minister, told MNJ that the junta had received proposals from China to build the dam at a reduced height compared to the original plan.
