Led by junta-appointed Kachin State Chief Minister U Khat Htein Nan, the so-called support rallies are being held in the state capital, Myitkyina, to garner local backing for the restart of the Myitsone Dam construction project.
Members of the Kachin State government are campaigning in Myitkyina’s downtown wards to secure local support for the resumption of the Myitsone Dam construction project, distributing rice to residents and hearing their concerns on various matters.
“Some people went there thinking it was just a rice distribution event, and only later realized it was actually a campaign for the Myitsone Dam project. If they had known in advance, no one would have attended. The authorities are now using a pattern of not clearly explaining the purpose of such events to locals, instead attracting them with incentives that are only revealed once they show up,” said a woman from Myitkyina who unintentionally attended the event.
On May 2, authorities held an event at a hall in Palana Ward, Myitkyina City, which they described as a rice distribution for locals. In reality, attendees were met with a campaign promoting support for the Myitsone Dam project. They were later given a total of 50 bags of rice, distributed at a rate of one bag for every five people.
Witnesses reported that the event was organized by ministers from the Kachin State government and was guarded by armed soldiers and police personnel.
“At first, they asked about the community's needs and listened to concerns such as road repairs and teacher shortages. Later, they brought up the Myitsone Dam issue and asked whether we agreed with what they said. Some people, out of fear of the police and soldiers, said they agreed, while others said they did not. The chief minister also gave youths 10,000 MMK each as pocket money. When they began discussing the Myitsone Dam, most of us wanted to leave, but we did not dare because armed soldiers were present,” the woman added.
The event was attended by several hundred residents from Palana Ward.
Authorities began organizing such staged events after a planned rally in support of the Myitsone Dam project in Tatkone Ward was cancelled in April due to low attendance.
On May 7, the junta again convened a meeting at an indoor venue in Myitkyina, inviting local businesses from various sectors to participate in the Myitsone Dam project.
“The junta has threatened to arrest and prosecute individuals and organizations opposing the Chinese-invested Myitsone Dam project, while at the same time staging rallies to try to win public support. This does not reflect the true will of the people. The junta has consistently ruled through intimidation. We call for an end to such staged rallies and demand the complete cancellation of the Myitsone Dam project.
The May 5 statement denounced the junta’s attempts to forcibly restart the Myitsone Dam project, which has been suspended since 2011 under President U Thein Sein, saying it goes against the will of the people of Kachin State and Myanmar as a whole.
In addition, research has shown that the Myitsone Dam project would not only damage water resources but also harm the ecosystems of both terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, as well as threaten the survival of local species, the statement also noted.
The statement pointed out that the Myitsone Dam project has forcibly displaced around 12,000 people from their ancestral lands, where they lived, worked, and earned their livelihoods, as the land was confiscated, resulting in the loss of farmland and sources of income.
Despite strong public opposition, the junta has already held at least 15 rallies and events in support of the Myitsone Dam project in Myitkyina and Waingmaw townships.
Locals, experts, and organizations have warned that construction of the massive dam on the northern Ayeyarwady River—Myanmar’s most vital waterway—must stop immediately, warning it could seriously impact the entire country.
