The Burmese military junta has started pressurizing residents of Tang Hpre village in the Irrawaddy Myitsone site over the last two days to relocate by the end of this month, said local sources.
Tang Hpre villagers are being investigated by junta officials in the wake of the serial bomb blasts on April 17 at the Myitsone dam construction site, which killed four and injured more than 12.
“There are six quarters in the village and the authorities have told two quarters--- quarter 1 and 2 to shift before the end of this month,” said a resident.
Tang Hpre village is located in the controversial Irrawaddy Myitsone dam construction site, 27 miles north of Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina. Villagers are being forced to relocate by the junta in many ways including threats of punishment if they refuse to shift.
Meanwhile hundreds villagers have been investigated by the junta. Some are still detained including two Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) members from the village.
“Junta officials are digging up the ground of KIO member’s house looking for bombs. Villagers are afraid of bombs being planted in their house compounds by the regime officials to help arrest them,” said the source.
The investigation is being undertaken by local Military Intelligence (Sa-Ya-Hpa), police, Special Branch of Police (SB), Township Peace and Development Council (Ma-Ya-Ka) and army officers.
The junta has announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the blasts. The Red Posters have been put up in every office of the Village Peace and Development Council (Ya-Ya-Ka) in Myitkyina announcing the reward.
Investigators have said the bomb explosions occurred in at least five places in the office of the dam project site in Chyinghkrang and Lungga Zup villages and damaged seven buildings, 10 vehicles, a large electric generator, a garage, two entrance gates and a 2000 gallon fuel tank.
The dead and injured in the blasts were Chinese dam construction workers and over 300 Chinese went back to China on the day of the blast.
Chinese authorities from Tengchong in China’s Yunnan province visited the site a few days after the blasts and investigated. They told the Burmese authorities they will not continue with the project unless the junta ensures tight security.
The Irrawaddy Myitsone dam construction was started in December last year and is being implemented by China’s state-owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), the Burma- Asia World Company and Junta’s No.1 Ministry of Electric Power.
