...[V]illagers opposed the dam project since it was proposed in 2008 because there was no transparency in its planning and it did not take into consideration the effects on local residents.

“The government should not proceed with a project so strongly opposed by local people. It will only fuel conflict in Shan,” Khur Hseng, a spokesperson of group, said.

...The...recent dam disaster in Laos, which killed scores of people and displaced thousands of villagers, has instilled the fear of a possible disaster of the same magnitude in communities along the Namtu. 

 Sai Htam Aik, a resident ...“We don’t want to lose our native villages and environment because of the dam. We don’t need it; we just want to stay peaceful. If the project continues to force on us, the villagers will continue to oppose it,”...said. 

...Yeywa Hydropower Project ...is one of four controversial dams planned on the Namtu in northern Shan, which is an active conflict zone. Companies from China, Japan, Switzerland and Germany are involved in the project.