Shan Community Based Organizations (Shan CBOs) launched a statement concerning the plan to build the Upper Salween (Mong Ton) dam in Shan State, demanding cancellation of the dam.
On 9 June at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in central Bangkok, Sai Khur Hseng, the coordinator of the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization, declared the statement to about twenty media agencies, stating that the Burmese authorities must stop its plan to build the Mong Ton dam, as well as all other plans to build dams on the Salween River.
The statement and the following discussion also raised questions to the process of public consultation and involvement of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).
From left, Sai Khur Hseng, the coordinator of the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization, and Pianporn Deetes, Thailand Campaign Coordinator of the International Rivers, at the press conference on Mong Ton Dam at the FCCT on 9 June 2015.
The planned Upper Salween (Mong Ton) dam, along with other five dams proposed to build on the Salween River is a joint project between Myanmar’s Ministry of Electric Power, the China Three Gorges Corporation, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the International Group of Entrepreneur (IGOEC).
When finished, the Mong Ton dam will affect the historic Keng Kham valley and the unique ecology of a “thousand islands” in the Nam Pang River, according to the group.
Furthermore, since there are still armed conflicts between the Shan State Army, Burmese Army, and Kokang Army, an ethnic armed force, the construction of the dam could lead to greater conflicts as each party will send in more troops to secure the area. In central Shan State, there have been more than 300,000 villagers that had to be relocated because of the armed conflicts.
Sai Khur Hseng also criticized the SMEC, said that they aimed to put rubber-stamp on the Mong Ton dam plans. SMEC started researching in the area on March 2015 and encountered several protests by the local villagers. SMEC then cancelled all the public consultations and held closed-door meeting with the government officials. He said SMEC should end its EIA/SIA immediately for its process lacks the local people’s participation to assess the impact.
Villagers and CSO workers from Shan State and Karen State shout slogans to oppose the dam project after a public consultation meeting for the Mong Ton Dam held in Taunngyi, Shan State, Burma, on 10 March 2015 (file photo).
He said that the dam building plans had skipped important precautionary procedures because as the SMEC assessing the impacts of the dam, the Chinese engineers had already tested drilling in the Salween river bank since early 2015. He urged that all company personnel and equipment should be withdrawn from Mong Ton dam site.
In addition, Pianporn Deetes, Thailand Campaign Coordinator of the International Rivers, raised question about EGAT’s involvement in the dam plan that it “reflects the intention to avoid the strong environmental and social legal procedures to the country where they are less strict.” She also questioned the EGAT and the Thailand’s Power Development Plans regarding transparency of the project as the information about their actions are very limited.
Pianporn said that the Shan CBOs are in process of discussion with Australian colleagues, since the SMEC is an Australian company. They are researching on the SMEC’s past involvement on others dams in the region.
Sai Khur Hseng concluded that the Shan CBOs is aiming to empower the local people by raising awareness and public participation. They are cooperating with the Salween Watch and regional NGOs on mobilizing the campaign to stop the Salween dams plan.