Residents and civil society organizations in Kachin State have jointly called for the complete scrapping of the Myitsone Dam, a major China-invested infrastructure project, warning that resuming its construction would make peace efforts more difficult and bring no benefits to local communities.
At a time when military conflicts are intensifying across Myanmar, the junta is stepping up efforts to restart the Myitsone Dam project in the upper reaches of the Ayeyarwady River, the country’s main waterway.
Since the coup, the junta has intensified efforts to restart the Myitsone Dam project, which has remained suspended since 2011 amid strong public opposition. On May 5, 49 Kachin civil society organizations joined locals in issuing a statement opposing any attempt to revive the project.
“The junta’s push to implement such a major project will further reduce the chances for peace talks and political dialogue. A government that truly cares about the people should prioritize peace efforts. Forcing ahead with a large-scale project in such a volatile region could further worsen the conflict,” said Sai Mai, an organizer of the statement.
He also argued that the junta’s claims that restarting the Myitsone Dam project would create job opportunities for locals are unrealistic.
“Before the project was suspended, the construction company was bringing in Chinese workers, and almost all positions were filled by them—even cooks. For Myanmar workers, there were only a few low-level, physically demanding jobs. Local people were not even allowed near the project site. They had set up multiple checkpoints and tightened security around the area,” he told NMG.
Civil society groups also warned that the junta could use profits from the project to repay debts to China and buy weapons to kill its own people, and noted that the Myitsone area is already suffering severe environmental damage from excessive gold mining. Myitsone refers to the area north of Myitkyina City where the Ayeyarwady River originates and is regarded as a natural landmark of the region.
“We would like to call on the international community to stand with the people on this issue. We also urge the Chinese government to listen to the voices of the people. We hope this potentially harmful project will be stopped as soon as possible,” said Ko Jacob, spokesperson for the Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW).
The May 5 statement called on the Chinese state-owned SPIC-YN, which is overseeing the Myitsone Dam project, to respect the will of local people and not to forcibly proceed with so-called development projects that go against their wishes, regardless of which government is in power.
