Local people said that they had concerns over building a dam on Tanintharyi River in Tanintharyi Township, Myeik district, at a workshop titled, ‘Our hunger for energy’, at Shan Chaung Ward, Kalwin village-tracts, Myeik on August 12.

Foreign and domestic companies are studying hydropower generation along the Tanintharyi River and local people have concerns as they will be relocated when the dam is built there.

Resident of Thar Ra Bwin village, Tanintharyi Township, Saw Ronald, said, “These companies have not yet come to us and explained their plans. We have concerns over being relocated to other places when these projects are implemented. We wish they’d come to us and explain their plans and how they will be built.”

A company recently visited a village and explained to villagers about their plan of building a hydropower dam in Tanintharyi River but the villagers objected. Tanintharyi Region Government Minister of Electricity and Energy Aung Thura said that there are 18 companies which have shown interest in building hydropower dams in this river.