October 22, 2007 - At least 10,000 ethnic Kachins living in northern Burma will be displaced and rendered homeless if the Burmese military junta’s continues with its dam construction project on the Irrawaddy River, a new report said.

The report, titled “Damming the Irrawaddy”, released by the Kachin Development Network Group on Monday, said the 152 metre tall dam project on the Irrawaddy river will inundate more than 74 villages, will destroy livelihoods of villagers and cause immense damage to fisheries and farming.

“The dam will not only harm Kachin people but millions of Burmese who depend on the Irrawaddy to eke out a living,’” Naw La, spokesperson of the KDNG, said.

The report said, the dam site is located less than 100 kilometers from Burma’s earthquake-prone Sagaing fault line.

“Dam breakage would be disastrous for Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State, which lies only 40 kilometers downstream,” the report said.

Dams in Burma have a poor safety record and collpases in 2006 have led to floods which have swept away houses and bridges, causing fatalities and destroying power stations, added the report.

Naw La told Mizzima people should be made aware of such a disastrous plan. It should be constructed with the consent of the people living in the region. However, he said, the plan project has not been made known to the public.

“The locals are not aware of the project and no awareness has been provided to them,” Naw La said.

Naw La said as the junta has planned to sell the electricity generated from the dam to China, local residents will not get any benefits but will have to pay the price.

“While this dam will provide electricity for China and fresh income for the regime, Burma’s people will have to pay a huge price,” said Naw La, adding that the junta will earn over US$ 500 million in revenue per year.

According to the report, the China Power Investment Co. Ltd, which the Burmese junta has allowed to operate, since May has begun survey work and permanent workers’ camp has been set up at the site.

The Burmese junta, in a dam building spree, has in recent years signed agreements with Thailand, Bangladesh, India and China for constructing several dams on rivers across Burma.

The Burmese junta in collaboration with China and Thailand has planned to build more than five dams on the Salween River, which runs from China along the eastern Shan state and Thai-Burma border.