Explosives will be used by Chinese engineers in the Irrawaddy River dam project in Burma’s northern Kachin State to dig into the rough river bed, said local sources close to the project.
The explosives are in place on the floor of the Irrawaddy River on the watercourse which is over two miles below Mali-N’Mai Rivers’ Confluence, Mali-N’Mai Zup in Kachin or Myitsone in Burmese, according to Chinese engineers at the project site.
At about 8:30 p.m. Burma Standard Time yesterday, the sound of two explosions from the project site was heard by villagers of Tang Hpre, the largest Kachin village at the Confluence, said Tang Hpre villagers.
Meanwhile, local Kachin gold miners near the river are being expelled by Burmese Army soldiers and Burma-Asia World Company, the prime contractor of the project, said local short-time workers of the Asia World Company.
On March 9, a group of Burmese soldiers from Northern Command Headquarters in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, 27 miles south of Myitsone seized many engines, tools and equipments used for gold mining from the Irrawaddy River in the project site, according to local gold miners.
Locals who have seen the dam’s map told KNG that Chinese engineers have drafted three huge dams to be built in areas two miles from Myitsone for a hydropower plant. The project will generate 3,600 MW of electricity.
With the junta providing necessary security, the Myitsone Irrawaddy River hydropower project is being jointly implemented by the Chinese government’s China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) and Asia World Company since 2006.
On May 21, 2007, under the leadership of Kachin National Consultative Assembly (KNCA), 12 Kachin elders and community leaders officially appealed to the junta supreme Senior General Than Shwe to stop the Myitsone hydropower project in Kachin State on behalf of Kachin people in Burma. However they received no reply.
Currently, the Asia World Company is constructing more camps for incoming Chinese engineers and Chinese workers at three places in the project site. Some 15,000 Chinese workers will arrive at the project site for the dam construction.
At the moment, over a hundred Chinese mainly water experts and engineers are stationed at the project site, according to Asia World Company.
