A villager injured in a car accident on May 3rd at the Irrawaddy Myitsone dam project site, in Kachin State, Northern Burma, has been imprisoned and prevented from being hospitalized by police, sources close to the injured man said.
Lama La Awng, aged 30, who suffered serious internal injuries in the accident, has been held in a cell in No.1 Police Station, in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, since the day of accident, according to his parents.
La Awng and his colleague Win Htah Htah, residents of Aung Min Tar village, the government relocation site for people at the Irrawaddy dam site, were hit by a 12-wheel truck operated by the dam contractor, Asia World Company, while riding on a motorcycle at noon on the day of the accident, local villagers said.
Win Htah Htah, aged 30 was killed in the accident and La Awng suffered serious wounds, according to relatives of La Awng.
The accident took place on the road between the Roman Catholic Church and the hospital in the village, 24 miles north of Myitkyina.
La Awng’s mother is extremely worried for her son’s life because he has not received any medication for four days, relatives said.
So far, police have not taken any action against the company’s truck driver, according to villagers.
Earlier, Asia World Company trucks hit other villagers in Aung Min Tar Village at least three times. However, authorities have not taken action against the drivers yet, added villagers.
The Asia World Company and China’s state-owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) are constructing the huge hydropower project at the confluence (Myitone in Burmese) of the Irrawaddy River with security provided by the Burmese military. The project began in 2009.
