Between 1990 and 2002, the country tripled its installed capacity of hydro plants, increasing from 253 megawatts 339,000 hp to 745 megawatts 999,000 hp. Myanmars government is working to find a solution on how to proceed with the controversial chinesebacked myitsone dam project in kachin state, suspended in 2011 amid heavy public opposition to. Evaluation of the environmental impact assessment eia of. Chief among the troubled megaprojects have been the giant myitsone dam at the headwaters of the irrawaddy river in the kachin state, the oil and gas pipelines. In the wake of the suspension of the myitsone hydropower dam, myanmar has the opportunity to pursue new ways of planning and delivering energy to power its growing economy while keeping its rivers. Myanmar, a country with much weaker state capabilities, has defied its giant neighbour. The brn is encouraged by news that president thein sein plans to stop the construction of the irrawaddy myitsone dam, but urges the people of. Yangon in the latest show of popular opposition to chinas proposed myitsone dam in northern myanmar, prominent environmentalists, writers and civil society leaders formed a national committee on monday to oppose the project and warned the government of more resistance if it were revived. Water overflows over kanyin dam spillway in ayeyawady region due to heavy rain, causing water levels to rose ten feet above the spillway, sources said. Thousands of people marched peacefully in the kachin state capital myitkyina on thursday against the myitsone dam. In southeast asia, for example, in developing the myitsone dam china power investment corporation violated chinas national guidelines and damaged chinamyanmar diplomatic and economic relations. Evaluation of the environmental impact assessment eia of chinese eia in myanmar. With the progress of chinamyanmar relations, the resumption of the myitsone dam project in northern myanmar can be placed on the agenda of both parties.
Pdf asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in. Myo min soe the irrawaddy yangon, myanmar in the latest show of popular opposition to chinas proposed myitsone dam in northern myanmar, prominent environmentalists, writers and civil society leaders formed a. China is playing peacemaker in myanmar, but with an ulterior motive. The myitsone dam suspension is an asymmetric negotiation between naypyitaw and beijing.
On april 1st, for instance, civil society activists, writers and environmentalists from across the. I reached out by email to min zin, writer on burmamyanmar who also explained the issues around the countrys renaming, for his insights into how the election results would impact the future of the myitsone dam. The clearest example of chinas changing strategy is the transformation of its efforts to build the myitsone dam. Committee formed to fight against myitsone dam frontier. Pdf in 2011, the burmese militarybacked government stunned global. Myitsone was sold on paper only without giving us any notice or say. Myitsone dam project, at the headwaters of the irrawaddy, is caught in tug of war between the state and a chinese corporation peter hadfield in mitkyina, northern burma tue. After 2000, burma approved increasingly ambitious chinese projects including the massive myitsone dam project, a. In 2005, plans to build the myitsone hydroelectric dam along the irrawaddy river were released by the china power investment corporation cpi and myanmars private corporation.
Myitsone dam could spark civil war subject in an open letter sent to chinese president hu jintao, the kachin independence organization kio has asked china to stop the planned myitsone dam to be built in burmas northern kachin state, warning that the controversial project could lead to. This chronology incorporates very significant material related to 2002. Much media attention in myanmar is focused on chinas apparent efforts to revive the stalled myitsone dam, its role in advising the myanmar government on. The brn is encouraged by news that president thein sein plans to stop the construction of the irrawaddy myitsone dam, but urges the people of burma to. Myitsone dam on the irrawaddy dropped 30 three gorges dam triggered 3,000 earthquakes 31 new publication. The effect of the dam on water accessibility, fish stocks, land degradation and livelihoods of the kachin minority group has led to protests from both regional and. The myanmar election and the myitsone dam huffpost. Burmese villagers exiled from ancestral home as fate of. How could naypyitaw defy beijing in this myitsone dam case. Prior to writing, she worked with refugees and idps in myanmar and the. The myitsone dam project, currently suspended, was being developed by cpi and asia world, a burmese dam developer, allegedly one of myanmars most successful construction and trading companies, which is owned by regime crony steven law u. Northern burma is earthquakeprone, and the irrawaddy myitsone dam site is less than 100 km from the. Dcmf and ggf for support to begin the initial research and writing.
Since these observers further situate the myitsone issue into a. Behind myanmars suspended dam 3 in a region scarred by violent conflict and rife with distrust of china, the investment risks are plain. Myanmars myitsone dam, in kachin state, is a key example of this opposition to dam. Aung san suu kyis myanmar dam dilemma with china bbc news.
Confluence dam is a large dam and hydroelectric power development project which was planned to be built in myanmar aka burma. Burmas suspended myitsone dam and lessons for chinese dam. An aerial view of the lower sesan ii dam in cambodia under construction. The myitsone was one of seven hydropower projects planned in the upper parts of the ayeyarwady river. Via this dataset the interplay of chinese dam developers and activists opposing large dams were analysed in two case studies. The irrawaddy myitsone dam project burma campaign uk. Development failed at myanmars myitsone dam, eurasian. The burma rivers network brn made the following statement on that date. General gwan maw, vice chairman of the kachin independence organization, discusses the controversial myitsone dam project during an interview at an undisclosed location in northern myanmars. Ifc report recommends alternative to myitsone dam thura.
Myanmar can leverage on chinas preference for the cmec plan to obtain funds necessary to upgrade infrastructure, in connection with the support for national reconciliation and the peace process, such that the cmec becomes a key component in myanmars bri engagement. China may determine the future of myanmars fragile rivers. The myitsone dam ejolt fact sheet in the irrawady river. Zin serves as a myanmar expert for ngos and think tanks. Permit number permit writer initials discharger rating countymarion efo namechattanooga city andor zip codesouth pittsburg, tn 37380 description of activitytreatment of municipal sewage effluent descriptiontreated municipal wastewater from outfall 001 receiving streamtennessee river mile 417. Coding on additional subthemes was conducted, if appropriate. The highest record of the water exceeded over the spillway was over 9. It was postponed by thenpresident u thein sein in 2011 for the duration of his term. The irrawaddy is the burmese peoples heritage, lifeline and civilisation, said aung zaw, editor of the irrawaddy news website. China is playing peacemaker in myanmar, but with an. Myitsone dam would wash away the whole of myitkyi na town, capital of kachin state, and its 300,000 residents. Zaw min told a press briefing in nay pyi taw on 100911 that the myitsone dam is in. Myanmar mulls options to keep suspended chinese dam. Myanmars aung suu kyi in china with myitsone dam project.
A chinesebacked dam project leaves myanmar in a bind. Hydropower minister defends construction of myitsone dam. However, myanmars civil society started to oppose the dam when political. Therefore, china and myanmar are in close consultation on the issue of myitsone hydropower project to find out a proper solution acceptable to both sides as soon as possible, said mr. Introductionchinas stalled dam project in myanmaron january 12th, the embassy of the peoples republic of china prc in myanmar issued a statement warning myanmar that if it failed to resolve the dispute over the stalled myitsone hydropower dam. Myitsone dam project will be replaced by the cmec plan. In december 2009, the myanmar government, cpi yunnan international power investment co. And last march, chinese workers were among the victims of a number of bombings near the myitsone dam site, according to a january report in the uks financial times. Furthermore, the international agreement was concluded in 2009, and the construction of the myitsone dam was underway. Cardinal charles bo yangon, myanmar, harshly condemned proposals to restart the chinabacked myitsone dam project that has been on hold since 2011. Asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in the.
Pdf scholars are rarely able to examine antidam movements that result. Adb hydro project report in hp in hindi 32 contact himanshu thakkar, parineeta dandekar, ganesh gaud, dams, rivers. Emily fishbein is a freelance writer who has been based in myanmar since 2015. In other words, the myitsone dam suspension was a sinomyanmar economic dispute that resembled the battle between david and goliath. Cardinal bo condemns proposal to restart myitsone dam. Prominent myanmar activists, writers form group to oppose. An ethnic kachin fisherman hauling his net in the irrawaddy river, near the planned myitsone dam in myitkyina, myanmar. So, for the stake of future generations, we want to compensate china, says juu, the writer behind the campaign. Prominent activists, writers form group to oppose myitsone dam. On april 17 last year, xinhua reported that a cpi dam construction site near myitkyina, the capital of kachin state, had been hit by three small explosions.
Officials of the two states witnessed the signing of major agreements. Qin hui concludes his threepart analysis of the fate of the myitsone dam. Pdf asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in the. The bilateral agreement of the hydropower project was concluded in 2009.
Chinas relations with burma united states institute. Myanmar burma has a large hydroelectric power potential of 39,000 megawatts 52,000,000 hp, although the economical exploitable potential is about 37,000 megawatts 50,000,000 hp. Historians and writers highlighted the cultural value of the river in their public talks. Located a mile below the confluence of the mali and nmai rivers in kachin state, the source of the irrawaddy river, the irrawaddy myitsone dam. The proposed construction site is at the confluence of the mali and nmai rivers and the source of the irawaddy river ayeyawady river in northern burma. The standoff over the myitsone dam project in myanmar. Literary talks delivered by historian and writers highlighted the cultural value of the river. The myitsone hydroelectric dam, the largest of seven dams to be constructed by the beijingcontrolled china power investment corporation, would have flooded an area of more than 700 square kilometers, and displaced tens of thousands of villagers in northern kachin.
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