Residents of Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township are demanding a transparent explanation and details on a local power plant project, fearing that the project’s blocking of Kyaukphyu Creek between Ohntaw and Gone Chain villages will damage their farmlands and the larger environment.
The power plant project has been jointly developed by Power China Co., and Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, since November of last year.
Since the project was not explained to locals at the time of its implementation and was not transparent, the consequences of the project need to be considered, said U Phoe San, a former Arakan State lawmaker for Kyaukphyu Township.
“If the government implements what it wants to do without being transparent about the project, it is important to consider how much the public will suffer,” the ex-MP added.
He continued that if a project is to be implemented in Myanmar, it needs to be made transparent to the relevant authorities, local people and civil society organisations.
Previously, implementation of a major oil and gas project in Kyaukphyu Township lacked transparency, resulting in the loss of local fisheries and farmlands; these grievances being well documented in the past.
Locals living near the project area are also concerned about the construction of the power plant, said U Maung Aye Kyi, an administrator of Gone Chain village.
“I am happy that there is progress in the area, but if a project is done, the locals will lose a lot of land. The locals are cultivating on this land. Locals are losing out because of the sale and lease of farmland. The government has not yet said how much it will guarantee the livelihoods of those working in the project area,” he told DMG.
More specifically, there are fears that construction of the power plant will damage farmlands owned by locals from Ohntaw, Kone Baung, Seik Chaung Pyin villages, in the upper reaches of Kyaukphyu Creek, during the rainy season.
“We are worried that we will lose our farmlands, which depend on the Kyaukphyu Creek. There are fears that if the Kyaukphyu Creek is not reopened, villages will be flooded and farmland will be lost,” said Ko Tun Win Soe, a resident of Ohntaw village.
Still under construction, the power plant will be completed within two years and has been given a 25-year licence, according to officials. When the power plant is completed, Power China will resell electricity to the Myanmar government.
Officials from Power China Co. held a meeting with departmental staff, former MPs, town elders and locals to explain the project. However, the meeting did not disclose information on the project to the specificity of many locals’ liking, and did not include a commitment to take responsibility for any damage to the area due to the project, said U Phoe San.
According to Power China Co. officials, 75% of locals are employed in the construction of the power plant, but only 54 of the 300 or so workers are found on the ground, according to U Phoe San.
