Apinya Wipatayotin, The Bangkok Post 31 Jul 09;
Environmental, social and human rights groups are slamming the adoption of plans for hydropower dams on the Salween River by Asean energy ministers.
The groups yesterday claimed the dams would cause massive damage to the river and communities that rely on it, lead to forced relocation and labour abuses, and would enrich Burma's military junta rather than Burmese people.
New regional energy plans including cooperation on multi-billion-baht hydropower development were agreed at the 27th Asean Energy Ministers Meeting which ended in Mandalay yesterday.
The ministers adopted the Thai-drafted Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2010-1015, which is a guideline for supporting Asean energy cooperation such as the use of clean coal technologies and nuclear energy cooperation to generate power.
Thai Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul and representatives from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand reportedly held talks with Burmese government officials about the development of the Hut Gyi hydropower dam on the Salween River, which forms part of the Thai-Burmese border.
The proposed dam is to be built opposite Mae Hong Son province. It will have an estimated capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts.
International environmental and human rights activists have long opposed the Hut Gyi dam project, saying it would cause grave damage to the river's ecology and lead to forced relocation and forced labour among Burmese ethnic minorities.
Non-government organisations, including the Burma Rivers Network (BRN) and OilWatch Southeast Asia, issued statements when the energy ministers meeting began on Tuesday calling for energy development projects in Burma to be terminated.
Burma's military regime is forging ahead with plans to export more energy to its neighbours. These include plans for more than 20 large hydroelectric dams to supply power to Thailand, China and the Asean power grid, BRN said.
"The revenue from the energy sector is the main source of income for the Burmese generals. It has been well documented that energy projects have caused environmental devastation and human rights abuses throughout the country," it said in a statement.
"Energy projects in Burma should be for the benefit of the Burmese people and not at their expense," said Sai Khur Hseng of the Ethnic Community Development Forum.
The Thai government has yet to make a decision on whether to go ahead with the Hut Gyi dam project pending a recommendation from a committee studying the impact of the mega-dam. It is due to report next month.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva set up the committee, which is made up of energy and environmental experts and economists, in April to help him make a decision on the controversial project.
