Published
Thursday, May 1, 2008 - 14:49
Villagers forced into repairs on hydropower project
Junta authorities in Namkham township, Northern Shan State, have been forcing villagers to repair the collapsed bank of the Shweli Hydropower Dam Project set up on the Shweli River, according to a reliable local source.
Junta authorities in Namkham township, Northern Shan State, have been forcing villagers to repair the collapsed bank of the Shweli Hydropower Dam Project set up on the Shweli River, according to a reliable local source.
On April 21, Man Tat based commander of Light Infantry Battalion 144, Captain Kyaw Than ordered villagers of Wangmeng, Hangkarm, Hinlong, Kawngkart and Wiangkang village tracts to repair the collapsed bank of the Shweli Hydropower Dam Project.
On April 24, a villager from Kawngkart village tract fled from the project site but the authorities caught him and beat him up until he bled. Later, the rest of the villagers were also beaten up and punished.
"We did nothing wrong and we did not run away, but we were beaten too," said a villager. "If we don't' have people in our family to work there, we have to pay Kyat 10, 000 ($10)."
There were over 350 people from five village tracts at the project. The authorities announced that 70 people from each village tract were required to go to the project site. The junta is eager to call more people for repairing the project, the source said.
The project was signed between the Burmese Ministry of Electric Power and Chinese Yunnan Machinery Equipment Import and Export Company Limited (YMEC) in 2002. It commenced in 2003, and the installed capacity of the project will be 600MW. The actual power supply will be 174.8 MW; the annual power output 4,033 GWh. The electricity will be transmitted to both Burma and China through 230 KV and 220 KV cables, according to a report from Palaung Youth Network Group.
The Shweli River, known by Shans and Palaungs as the Mao, is a main tributary of the Irrawaddy. Its source lies in China's Yunnan province at 11,000 feet above sea level. The river runs past Burma's Muse and Namkham and flows into the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay. The project is near Man Tat village, 17 miles southwest of Namkham, Northern Shan State.
On April 21, Man Tat based commander of Light Infantry Battalion 144, Captain Kyaw Than ordered villagers of Wangmeng, Hangkarm, Hinlong, Kawngkart and Wiangkang village tracts to repair the collapsed bank of the Shweli Hydropower Dam Project.
On April 24, a villager from Kawngkart village tract fled from the project site but the authorities caught him and beat him up until he bled. Later, the rest of the villagers were also beaten up and punished.
"We did nothing wrong and we did not run away, but we were beaten too," said a villager. "If we don't' have people in our family to work there, we have to pay Kyat 10, 000 ($10)."
There were over 350 people from five village tracts at the project. The authorities announced that 70 people from each village tract were required to go to the project site. The junta is eager to call more people for repairing the project, the source said.
The project was signed between the Burmese Ministry of Electric Power and Chinese Yunnan Machinery Equipment Import and Export Company Limited (YMEC) in 2002. It commenced in 2003, and the installed capacity of the project will be 600MW. The actual power supply will be 174.8 MW; the annual power output 4,033 GWh. The electricity will be transmitted to both Burma and China through 230 KV and 220 KV cables, according to a report from Palaung Youth Network Group.
The Shweli River, known by Shans and Palaungs as the Mao, is a main tributary of the Irrawaddy. Its source lies in China's Yunnan province at 11,000 feet above sea level. The river runs past Burma's Muse and Namkham and flows into the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay. The project is near Man Tat village, 17 miles southwest of Namkham, Northern Shan State.
