Buthidaung: Six Khami ethnic villages in Buthidaung Township, in Arakan State have been forced to relocate recently by the Burmese military junta for setting up of the Sai Dan hydro power plant.

The villages were located in the upper Sai Din waterfall area - a famous waterfall in Arakan, 30 miles east of Buthidaung. The regime plans to have a hydro power plant at the spot.

The six Khami tribal villages are: Swa Yay, Li Bo, Dauk Souk Pai, Mari Mi, Ree Chaung and Pana Chay. The villages were located near the place the power plant is to come up. The authorities have relocated the villages to upper Pana Chay village.

There are about 50 households on an average in each village and most villagers depend on the Sai Dan Creek for their survival, a villager said.

The Burmese junta has let it be known that power generated from the Sai Dan waterfall hydro power plant will be distributed in Arakan State from 2012 when the project is completed. The power plant is expected to generate about 70 MW of electricity.

The Burmese regime had tried to unsuccessfully construct the hydro power plant at the Sai Dan waterfall in the past.

Prime Minister U Nu’s government had begun building a hydro power plant in the Sai Dan waterfall in 1950 but later stopped work after an US engineer was killed by the Burmese Communist party.

The military regime again tried to set up the power plant at the waterfall after seizing power in 1988 but two years later the project was stopped without any reason being ascribed.

Now the regime has again decided to have the power plant at the waterfall. Locals believe this time the authorities will build the plant in Sai Dan waterfall because many equipments and a number of foreign engineers have arrived in the area for the project.