Myitsone issues proper solution acceptable to both sides. It was postponed by thenpresident u thein sein in 2011 for the duration of his term. The burma rivers network brn made the following statement on that date. In other words, the myitsone dam suspension was a sinomyanmar economic dispute that resembled the battle between david and goliath. The myitsone dam suspension is an asymmetric negotiation between naypyitaw and beijing. 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.
Burmas epm1 zaw min, says the government will continue construction of the myitsone dam on the irrawaddy river despite heavy criticism and environmental and social concerns. 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. Historians and writers highlighted the cultural value of the river in their public talks. Pdf asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in. 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.
Prominent activists, writers form group to oppose myitsone dam. 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. Dcmf and ggf for support to begin the initial research and writing. 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. 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. Pdf scholars are rarely able to examine antidam movements that result.
Furthermore, the international agreement was concluded in 2009, and the construction of the myitsone dam was underway. Burmese villagers exiled from ancestral home as fate of. So, for the stake of future generations, we want to compensate china, says juu, the writer behind the campaign. Since these observers further situate the myitsone issue into a. Committee formed to fight against myitsone dam frontier. Chinas relations with burma united states institute. China is playing peacemaker in myanmar, but with an. Northern burma is earthquakeprone, and the irrawaddy myitsone dam site is less than 100 km from the. Cardinal charles bo yangon, myanmar, harshly condemned proposals to restart the chinabacked myitsone dam project that has been on hold since 2011. 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. 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. Aung san suu kyis myanmar dam dilemma with china bbc news. 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. 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.
Prominent myanmar activists, writers form group to oppose. 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. After 2000, burma approved increasingly ambitious chinese projects including the massive myitsone dam project, a. A chinesebacked dam project leaves myanmar in a bind. 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. If myitsone issue fails to be resolved after a long delay, it will seriously hurt the confidence of chinese entrepreneurs in investing in myanmar. Development failed at myanmars myitsone dam, eurasian. Evaluation of the environmental impact assessment eia of chinese eia in myanmar. 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. 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. Myitsone dam would wash away the whole of myitkyi na town, capital of kachin state, and its 300,000 residents. The myitsone was one of seven hydropower projects planned in the upper parts of the ayeyarwady river.
Zaw min told a press briefing in nay pyi taw on 100911 that the myitsone dam is in. Pdf asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in the. Emily fishbein is a freelance writer who has been based in myanmar since 2015. 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.
Myitsone dam project will be replaced by the cmec plan. Myanmar mulls options to keep suspended chinese dam. 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. Officials of the two states witnessed the signing of major agreements. 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. 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 brn is encouraged by news that president thein sein plans to stop the construction of the irrawaddy myitsone dam, but urges the people of. Burmas suspended myitsone dam and lessons for chinese dam. Development of the dam at myitsone is not considered to be consistent with sustainable hydropower principles, the report said. Thousands of people marched peacefully in the kachin state capital myitkyina on thursday against the myitsone dam. 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. Behind myanmars suspended dam 3 in a region scarred by violent conflict and rife with distrust of china, the investment risks are plain. The bilateral agreement of the hydropower project was concluded in 2009. Adb hydro project report in hp in hindi 32 contact himanshu thakkar, parineeta dandekar, ganesh gaud, dams, rivers. 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. The standoff over the myitsone dam project in myanmar. The myitsone dam ejolt fact sheet in the irrawady river. 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 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. Coding on additional subthemes was conducted, if appropriate. She seeks to share diverse stories and perspectives, especially from kachin. Prior to writing, she worked with refugees and idps in myanmar and the. 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.
Ifc report recommends alternative to myitsone dam thura. This chronology incorporates very significant material related to 2002. 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. Qin hui concludes his threepart analysis of the fate of the myitsone dam. Via this dataset the interplay of chinese dam developers and activists opposing large dams were analysed in two case studies.
The highest record of the water exceeded over the spillway was over 9. Hydropower minister defends construction of myitsone dam. Zin serves as a myanmar expert for ngos and think tanks. The myanmar election and the myitsone dam huffpost. Myanmar, a country with much weaker state capabilities, has defied its giant neighbour. A construction site for the myitsone dam project in northern myanmar, left inactive. 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. China may determine the future of myanmars fragile rivers. Literary talks delivered by historian and writers highlighted the cultural value of the river. How could naypyitaw defy beijing in this myitsone dam case. An aerial view of the lower sesan ii dam in cambodia under construction. In december 2009, the myanmar government, cpi yunnan international power investment co. Cardinal bo condemns proposal to restart myitsone dam. By nan lwin the irrawaddy tuesday april 1, 2019 people attend a meeting to oppose the myitsone dam in yangon on monday.
An ethnic kachin fisherman hauling his net in the irrawaddy river, near the planned myitsone dam in myitkyina, myanmar. 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. Asymmetric bargaining between myanmar and china in 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 myitsone dam is a hurdle in the way of chinamyanmar relations and an obstacle to myanmars economic development and attracting foreign investment. 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. On april 1st, for instance, civil society activists, writers and environmentalists from across the. However, myanmars civil society started to oppose the dam when political. The irrawaddy myitsone dam project burma campaign uk. Myanmars aung suu kyi in china with myitsone dam project. China is playing peacemaker in myanmar, but with an ulterior motive. Myitsone dam on the irrawaddy dropped 30 three gorges dam triggered 3,000 earthquakes 31 new publication.
Myanmars myitsone dam, in kachin state, is a key example of this opposition to dam. Pdf in 2011, the burmese militarybacked government stunned global. Confluence dam is a large dam and hydroelectric power development project which was planned to be built in myanmar aka burma. The clearest example of chinas changing strategy is the transformation of its efforts to build the myitsone dam. The irrawaddy is the burmese peoples heritage, lifeline and civilisation, said aung zaw, editor of the irrawaddy news website.
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