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Article

24 Mar 2019

Author:
Karen Information Center, BNI Multimedia Group

Burma: Groups come together to oppose construction of dams on Burma's rivers

"Rivers are not commodities for Sale- Environmental Rights and Civil Society Groups Demand End to Large-dam Projects," 22 March 2019

Environmental right groups and civil society organizations across Burma gathered on a ship on the Irrawaddy River in Mandalay demanding an end to mega-dam projects to mark this years International Day of Action for Rivers...

The Burma Rivers Network, Save the Salween Network and civil society groups who want to stop the damming of Burma’s rivers and the destruction of the environment came together to celebrate the country’s vast free-flowing rivers and to declare that no large dams must be built on these vital waterways.

“We are strongly opposed to the Union Government’s plans to build over 50 large hydropower dams on our rivers, mainly for the export of power to neighboring countries. These dams directly threaten and exploit the fragile ecology of the rivers and the ethnic communities who rely on them for their survival and for the survival of their cultural heritage.”

The Alliance’s statement accused the government of ignore the rights of ethnic communities to govern their own resources and to maintain their cultural identities.

In their statement, the group called on the Burma Government to impose a moratorium on the existing construction of large hydro dams, to abandon all planned and proposed large dams, and demand that investors respect the rights of the people of Burma, as they try to lead efforts to build lasting peace and a genuine democratic federal union.