Electrical industry of burma/myanmar

RESEARCH ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTED

NLM, 24/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-09-24.pdf

At the session of the Pyithu Hluttaw on 23/09/11, Science and Technology Minister Aye Myint replied to a question raised by U Aye Myint of Insein Constituency on plans for developments in the science and technology sector and “rumors that Myanmar is trying to build nuclear power with the assistance of a nuclear power nation".
The Minister replied that his ministry was focusing on research and development related to technologies to prevent soil depletion and revitalization of decaying soil, and had been able to distribute various kinds of bio- fertilizers, tonic for organic plants and bio-pesticide useful for organic farming to farmers at reasonable prices. He said his ministry had also been conducting research into the conversion of conventionally operated lathes into machines that used computerized numerical controls (CNC).
The ministry was also testing self-made major parts for five kinds of automobile engines ranging from 22hp to 360hp, as well as a type of locomotive head and a type of diesel engine used in farm vehicles. Testing was also being carried out on 19-blade Francis turbine runners with 860mm-inlet-diameter and 915mm-outlet diameter used in six-MW turbines for hydropower generation, as well as on charge controllers for solar panels and charge controllers for wind turbines that could be manufactured in Myanmar instead of being imported from abroad. .
He said the ministry was also conducting research into the production of strong magnets used in wind turbines, metallurgical grade silicon used in solar panels and on sails made of fibre glass. Self-made universal unmanned aerial vehicles were also being tested on a trial basis. In addition the Ministry of Industry-2 was currently producing engines with capacities ranging from 250 hp to 800 hp, and heavy diesel engines with capacities ranging from 2200 hp to 2700 hp, trucks that could carry loads of 10 to 20 tons, city buses for public transportation, heavy duty trucks, light trucks and pick-ups and major parts for those vehicles.
He went on that like his ministry, the Ministry of Industry-1, the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries were implementing short and long term plans on research and the development of human resources needed for technological advancement and national development.
Regarding rumors that Myanmar was developing nuclear power capabilities with the assistance of a nation that possessed nuclear power, the SciTech minister replied that Myanmar had always supported the right of every nation to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes; that the government supported the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and opposed the use of the nonproliferation agreement to discriminate against developing countries; and that Myanmar was contributing to peace and stability in the region together with its ASEAN partners and had never carried out acts that posed a threat to regional peace and tranquility.
He said that [international] analysts were of the opinion that Myanmar, as a developing nation, did not have the resources needed [“inadequacies”] to produce nuke weapons either in terms of infrastructure and technology or in financial capability. Therefore, accusations that Myanmar was trying to build nuclear capacity were wrong and Myanmar had made no effort whatsoever to possess nuclear weapons. In fact Myanmar had announced to the nations of the world that it aspired to peace and had no intention of possessing nuclear weapons.
Additional references
See below: Myanmar confirms plans to build nuclear research reactor (AFP: 22/01/02)

Fredrik Dahl, Reuters, 21/09/11. Edited and condensed.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/21/idINIndia-59476520110921

Myanmar is in no position to consider developing nuclear arms, a senior diplomat told the U.N. atomic agency on 21/09/11, rejecting any such suspicions in the West. Last year, a U.N. report suggested that North Korea might have supplied Myanmar as well as Iran and Syria with banned atomic technology. But Tin Win, the country's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told its annual member state meeting: "Myanmar would like to restate that Myanmar is in no position to consider the production and use of nuclear weapons and does not have enough economic strength to do so." He told delegates of the 151-member IAEA that Myanmar in the past had "made arrangements" to carry out nuclear research with the help of Russia. The aim had been to ensure that it would "not lag behind other countries in that field and to improve the applications of nuclear technology in its education and health sectors." He suggested that this may have led the international community to "misunderstand" Myanmar's activities. While backing the non-proliferation of nuclear arms, Myanmar also supported every state's legitimate right to the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, the envoy added. Myanmar has previously denied allegations by an exile group it was trying to develop atomic bombs and most analysts believe the isolated, impoverished nation remains well short of any goal to acquire nuclear capability. But in January, Vienna-based diplomatic sources said the IAEA had written to Myanmar seeking information about its activities, suggesting it wanted to send inspectors there. A Norwegian-based exile group said in mid-2010 that Myanmar had a secret programme dedicated to developing the means to make nuclear weapons, following up on similar allegations by defectors from the reclusive state. The IAEA said at the time that it was looking into the report. Myanmar is a member of both the NPT and the IAEA.

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David Albright, Andrea Stricker, Institute for Science and International Security, 03/06/11. Edited. http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/myanmar-says-halted-nuclear-research-program-verification-critical/33

In an important reversal, Myanmar’s vice president, U Tin Aung Myint Oo, told a visiting U.S. delegation led by Senator John McCain on 02/06/11 that the country “has halted [its nuclear research] programme as [the] international community may misunderstand Myanmar over the issue.” The vice president said, “Myanmar has made arrangements for nuclear research with the assistance of Russia in order that Myanmar will not lag behind other countries in that field and to improve its education and health sectors…” He continued, “Myanmar is [in] no position to take account of nuclear weapons and does not have enough economic strength to do so.” This statement was followed by the announcement that Myanmar had halted its nuclear research due to the high potential for international confusion.

Concerns about the true nuclear intentions of the secretive Myanmar regime have increased over the past two years due to claims by military defectors to the media and opposition groups about sites and projects involved in covert nuclear research. The U.S. government has long been concerned about rumors of secret nuclear development. Myanmar has also received scrutiny for suspicious procurements with possible nuclear applications from Europe, unusual personnel linkages between an ostensibly non-atomic agency and the country’s atomic energy agency involved in the suspicious procurements, and rumors about military nuclear cooperation and possible illicit missile trade with North Korea. Regarding North Korea, the vice president said, “Myanmar deals with all global family members, and North Korea, a global family member… Nevertheless, after the [United Nations] released provisions of resolutions 1718 and 1874, Myanmar has been abiding by the provisions as it is a UN member.”
Myanmar should take this opportunity to improve its transparency and increase international confidence in its pledge to close down its nuclear research program and enforce UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea. Myanmar should answer questions the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has posed about some of its activities. It should invite the UN Panel of Experts tasked with investigating North Korea’s compliance with UN Security Council resolutions forbidding nuclear related trade and nuclear cooperation with other countries, and answer any questions about transfers between North Korea to Myanmar or organized by North Korea. These actions would be significant steps toward verifying the vice president’s statements and closing the case on international concerns about Myanmar’s nuclear activities.
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PUBLIC WORKSHOP HELD ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF AYEYAWADY BASIN DAMS

NLM, 18/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs12/NLM2011-09-18.pdf

A workshop on the environmental impact of hydropower projects in the Ayeyawady basin was held in Nay Pyi Taw on 17/09/11. Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw representatives, departmental heads, resource persons, entrepreneurs, journalists and guests were in attendance. In introducing the workshop presenters EPM-1 Zaw Min invited suggestions and discussion by those present.
Chairman Dr Htin Hla of the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) read a paper on the impact [of hydropower projects] on natural and social environments. China Power Investments Chairman Li Guanghua gave a presentation on the “strategic selection for the Myanmar electric power industry” of the Ayeyawady basin hydropower projects. Director-General Kyee Soe of the Hydropower Planning Dept read a paper on assessing the economic benefits [of hydropower projects]. Chairman Tun Naing Aung of the Kaung Kyaw Say Co spoke about how CDM [Clean Development Mechanism] projects could enhance development in Myanmar. Director Hla Maung Thein of the Environmental Conservation Dept of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry spoke about the need for forest conservation and administration to reduce environmental degradation along the Ayeyawady river and Director Ko Ko Oo of the Ministry of Transport reported on efforts by the Dept of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems to conserve and effectively use the Ayeyawady river.
Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry Win Tun, Minister for Transport Nyan Tun Aung, Mines Minister Thein Htaik, deputy ministers, experts, scholars and Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw representatives made suggestions. Officials replied to questions raised by journalists and Hluttaw representatives. Chairman Thein Soe of the Myanma Industrial Development Committee also made suggestions.
In his concluding remarks EPM-1 Zaw Min said that the papers presented at the seminar would prove fruitful in the work of the ministry and thanked all, including the Hluttaw representatives, who attended and made suggestions. [Zaw Min said] said the “natural environment report” [on the Ayeyawady basin dams] had been worked on by 250 scholars from six organizations including BANCA. The report would be submitted to the reconstituted Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry. Remarks fingered by the scholors of that ministry would studied and reported on. The impact of the Ayeyawady basin dams on the environment would be studied during the implemention of the project and the operation of the hdyropower plants, as it is changing constantly.
The hydropower minister said the project would proceed in accordance with the decisions made by the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry. He said the Ayeyawady River would be studied from its origins right down to the delta region. Currently, the studies are being conducted in the region up to Thabeikyin. A “Natural Environment Law” is to be drafted, as there have been suggestions that the studies previously carried out were not complete as they had been done without the necessary “technology, experience and knowledge”. Standards are to be established for the study of the natural environment.
With regard to “events” along the Ayeyawady River, it is necessary to carry out environmental conservation and river management according to a plan at the national level that will involve the people and organizations under the arrangement of the State. The drafting of a law, if necessary, will be carried out. The Ministry of Mines will control gold mining in the Ayeyawady River having a regard to environmental conservation and no more permits will be given for existing gold mines after the current permits expire.
Companies implementing projects [along the Ayeyawady] will be responsibile for the impacts of their projects on the upper and lower basin areas of the river. The fact that adequate measures will have to be taken with regard to environmental impacts is included in JV contracts. It is needed to encourage and study renewable energy production in compliance with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) [of the Kyoto Protocol] as it can reduce global warming and carbon emission and give economic benefits.
According to the report of China Power Investment Corp, the structures of the Myitsone project will be systematically designed and built to resist the worst floods in a thousand years and the impact of an earthquake of eight on the Richter scale. The environmental report that has been carried out and company’s guarantee are a matter of record. Quality controls will be carried out constantly while the project is being implemented. The suggestion that was made about conducting a time-consuming inspection by government-formed independent engineering group to ascertain whether projects on the Ayeyawady are technically “strong” will be taken into consideration.
The Minister said that hydropower projects along the Ayeyawady were worthwhile in view of the increased availability of power for domestic consumption and industrial development. However, the impact of the Myitsone project on the environment and safety concerns were hot topics among the people and it was appropriate to get suggestions on how to minimize the impact of the Myitsone project on the environment and to ensure that the project would pose no danger, [even if this meant] changing the design of the tunnel, lowering the height of the dam thus reducing its water storage capacity, changing its location farther upstream, and studying the feasibility of working on the proposed Chepwe Project upstream of Myitsone project while re-assessing the design of the Myitsone dam, and collecting data for environmental impact assessment. Future work on the Myitsone project would depend on the environmental report to be drawn up by the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and the report of the proposed engineering group.
The hydropower minister went on to say that since the establishment of EPM-1 in 2006, local entrepreneurs as well as foreign investors [had been licensed to to develop power resources in order to] increase generation of electric power in the nation in a short period of time. Such activities, he said, were being carried out under the scrutiny of the Myanmar Investment Commission, the Ministry of Finance and Revenue, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, and the Attorney-General’s Office. In the five years since the establishment of EPM-1, there had emerged a considerable number of hydropower projects implemented with domestic and foreign investment.
The Minister noted that Myanmar now has a total installed capacity of 3360 megawatts and that over 1500 megawatts of electricity was being generated to meet domestic demand and to comply with the resistance level of power lines. He said that it was expected that power demand would increase by approximately 10pc annually. Increased access to electric power would be enjoyed following installation of more power lines and mprovement of the power supply system. Construction of power lines depended on budget limitations and took time to put into place. During the five-year term of the present government, it was expected that nine projects including the Shwegyin, Kun, Pyu, Thaukyekhat-2, Nankhio, Upper Paunglaung, Belu-3, Upper Belu and Chipwenge project would be completed, contributing an additional 655 megawatts to the national grid. People would enjoy more electricity depending on availability of funds to complete the projects, the installation of power lines, and the power supply system.
The Minister concluded saying that the ministry had to implement such projects in accordance with the policies and decisions of the government. Since the emergence of the parliament elected by the people, the EPM-1 would continue implementing power supply projects in conformity with decision of the Hluttaws, and the policies of the government within the framework of the law. He promised that his ministry would do its best to comply with the responsibilities assigned to it by the Hluttaws and the goverment.
Additional references
See above: ‘President Thein Sein orders suspension of Myitsone dam project’ (IRROL: 30/09/11) which includes a complete list of other key articles related to CPIC hydropower projects in northern Kachin State.

See below: ‘Hydropower minister defends construction of Myitsone dam (IRROL: 12/09/11)

‘In defence of proposed hydropower dams in the Ayeyawady river basin’ (NLM, 09/08/11)
Wai Moe, IRROL, 19/09/11. Edited and condensed. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22103

The government-hosted workshop on 17/09/11 to discuss the impact of Chinese hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy river and its sources was far from being a carefully orchestrated seminar to sanction the controversial project. According to sources in Nay Pyi Taw, the debate turned into a heated argument and no decision was reached on whether to suspend the Myitsone hydropower project. They said several government ministers differed on the pros and cons of the project, and that the issue may be brought before parliament.

Notably, President Thein Sein and other high-ranking ministers were seen to oppose the project. “President Thein Sein needs the support of more than 400 members of parliament to change the proposal,” said a senior journalist who spoke on condition of anonymity. “There are some good signals [that this will happen], as several ministers openly aired their concerns about this project. “The Chinese looked pretty uncomfortable at the workshop on Saturday,” he added, referring to a delegation sent by the dam's main investor, China Power Investment Corporation (CPI).
At the workshop, Industry-1 &-2 Minister Soe Thein openly called for a review of the terms of the contract, and spoke about accountability. “The project should be reviewed and members of parliament must be informed,” he said. “The China Power Investment Corp currently has control over the Environmental Impact Assessment—this is not the right way to proceed. “We need to seek the co-operation orf experts, we need to debate and review the issue in the national interest,” he said. Burma’s state-newspapers on Sunday did not report Soe Thein’s speech at the workshop in detail.
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Eleven Media, Undated [probably one or two days after the workshop on 17/09/11]. Edited and abridged.

http://eversion.news-eleven.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1466:myitsone-hydropower-project-to-be-reviewed-report&catid=42:weekly-eleven-eversion&Itemid=109
[After the presentations by the government ministers at the public workshop], the pros and cons of the Myitsone hydropower projects were discussed by experts and Hluttaw representatives including Amyotha Hluttaw Representative Khin Wine Kyi of the National Democratic Force, Amyotha Hluttaw Representative Khat Htain Nam of the Union and Democracy Party of Kachin State, Amyotha Hluttaw Representative J Yaw Wu of the National Unity Party, and Dr. Tin Shwe of the National Democratic Force.
Chairman of the Myanma Industrial Development Committee, Minister for Industry-1 & -2 Soe Thein the made the following remarks: “Receiving more national income and electric power is acceptable. On the other hand, worries about environmental degradation and the damages from onset to sea mouth along the Ayeyawady River should not be neglected. We have now compiled the excerpts from the discussions. These may not be perfect. We must consider about the timing. As technologies are improving with time, the previous conclusions, if necessary, must be reviewed. I accept that the atonement cannot be made for wrong decision on construction of Myitsone hydropower project. As a Myanmar saying goes; ‘Marrying, building pagoda and tattooing cannot be erased’. Myitsone project is worse than this saying. Plans implemented without common consent will easily be damaged. Frequent discussion will result in success. All should try to reach a consensus for the State’s benefit. It should be examined what risks and threats to the State could be caused by the possible impacts upstream and downstream.
“As Chairman of Myanma Industrial Development Committee, I want to suggest that the EIA and SIA reports should be reviewed first without prejudicing anyone. Then the conclusions must be unveiled transparently. The experts should observe all the details about the projects logically for the national interest. The choice of sites for the construction of dams and reservoirs is not [limited to] a single location. Other places included in the overall plan where the same capacity of electricity could be generated and the location of the other upstream areas on the Maykha and Malikha rivers where people would not make objections should be chosen [taken into consideration?]. I [am advocating] a win-win situation.
“No matter how much I am saying, Myanmar nation is on the track of ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people, by the law’. As the people elected the government, the welfare of the public is high on our list of priorities. This is our legitimate confession. Everybody is under the law of impermanence. We cannot avoid aging and death. Posts, authority and power are not our eternal properties. They last only a limited period just as ‘water bubbles’. The State and the future generations of its people will exist for a long time. National unity should not be undermined with the issue of the Myitsone hydropower project.”
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Hein Min Latt, Eleven Media, undated (third week of Sept-2011?). News. Summary, http://eversion.news-eleven.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1467:banca-chairman-advocates-transparency-on-eia-report&catid=42:weekly-eleven-eversion&Itemid=109

Comments by Dr Htin Hla, chairman of the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Ass’n (BANCA). on the role his organization in the EIA study of the Myitsone and Upper Kachin hydropower projects at the public workshop on 17/09/11. “As we signed an agreement for secrecy, we are not in a position to reveal our observations without the permission of our contractor. Our EIA Report should not be regarded as a perfect model of observation. We had to complete it in five months due to the demands of Chinese experts. We could not read the MOU between the two governments before starting our observations. As there is no Myanmar environment law for reference in the country, the facts in the report were compiled from available sources. EIA is a process that should be publicized transparently. We advised the Ministry of Electric Power and CPI to publicize the EIA report to the people. Only then there will be no doubt about the project.”

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Soe Than Lynn, Myanmar Times, 26/09/11. Edited. Excerpts. http://mmtimes.com/2011/news/594/news59404.html

This article reports on the public workshop and is noteworthy for quoting two of the presenters whose comments have not otherwise received much attention.

Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry U Win Tun warned that the government needed to be “cautious”. “Development projects have to be carried out without hurting the environment. We need to be very cautious. If there are any development projects that are going to damage the environment, we will have to negotiate to minimise the damage. We accept that … [the Myitsone dam] could do harm to the environment. As our ministry is responsible [for environmental issues], we will analyse it in a righteous manner. The Ministry of Electric Power 1 has also analysed it with the help of experts. We will submit our findings to the president."
In his paper, CPI chairman Mr Li Guanghua said that Myanmar would get 20,000 megawatts of electric power after the project was completed. The total construction cost is estimated at US$20 billion but revenue in the first 50 years was projected to total $54 billion, and in the second 50 years may come to $160 billion. He said the project would bring other advantages, such as more employment opportunities for locals and improved infrastructure.
The reporter sums up his observations on the workshop: Make no mistake: A tug-of-war between those wanting to safeguard our natural resources and landmarks and others who want to generate electricity crucial for industrialisation is well and truly underway. The controversy has engulfed the government, and it seems clear that not all ministers are in favour of the project going ahead, as Minister for Electric Power 1 U Zaw Min declared it would on September 11. For the first time, it appears possible that the Mayhka-Malikha confluence could remain untouched for future generations, following the disclosure that experts and hluttaw representatives would be consulted on the issue and their recommendations submitted directly to the president.
Mizzima, 20/09/11. Opinion piece by Howa Duma Zau Gam, a Kachin elder. Summary.

http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/11712-a-kachin-leaders-views-on-myitsone-dam.html

In Kachin, there’s a traditional saying, a word called "Mawro," which means a giant mudslide or a mountain collapses and breaks into pieces. In 2004 a flood caused the Kyeinkaran hydropower to crack in six places and it finally broke. The torrents were so large that it was like a huge waterfall, and it uprooted giant trees. It was all in a split second, and we couldn’t do anything. Within a short time, the houses beside Tanparae village were swept away by the water. The event has traumatized my life and the fear left a scar in my mind. Who can give us a guarantee that the Myitsone Dam will never break? Could the profits from this project ever begin to cover the loss to the environment and the people who would be affected by it? This project needs to be opposed by Bamar, Shan, Kachin, Karen and every other citizen.

Ba Kaung, IRROL, 21/09/11. News. Summary. http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22117

Incidents such as the foiled public protest in front of the PRC embassy in Rangoon on 19/09/11 and the arrest of a Burmese man on 20/09/11 for for staging a solo protest against the dam project near the PRC cultural office reflect what observers say is a growing level of anti-Chinese sentiment in Burma, stemming from major Chinese investments in the country.

Min Zin, IRROL, 21/09/11. Opinion. Summary. http://www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=22114

There are a number of steps that President Thein Sein could take to address the Irrawaddy issue, such as getting the Parliament to enact a much-needed environmental law, suspending the Myitsone dam project, conducting an independent assessment with the assistance of Mekong River Commission, or choosing the plan to build two smaller dams north of Myitsone as proposed by the EIA study. These measures are not without risk for the Thein Sein regime, which is rife with internal rivalries. But there is reason to believe that they would enjoy support among at least some in the regime. Industry minister Soe Thein suggested exploring the smaller dams option. This would likely anger China which has already invested heavily in the project. Opposition groups (not necessarily political ones, but broadly inclusive societal groups) have significant leverage to press for issue-specific change. The Irrawaddy crisis offers the broadest issue-linkages because it can be related to human rights, national security, ethnic conflicts, foreign investment and trade, poverty and sustainable development, environmental issues, and the empowerment of civil society, among many other issues.

Sai Zom Hseng, IRROL, 22/09/11. News. Summary. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22124

An art exhibition held in Rangoon on 22/09/11 as part of a public campaign to save the Irrawaddy river attracted about 1,000 people including well-known writers, actors, politicians, environmentalists and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 100 photographs, paintings, drawings and cartoons were exhibited at a gallery in central Rangoon. Ye Naing Moe, one of the organizers, said that the event also featured the launch of a book about the Irrawaddy River with more than 200 photos. All photographs and artwork were passed to the government's Press Scrutiny and Registration Division previous to the exhibition for approval, and three cartoons were prohibited from exhibition.

Sai Zom Hseng, IRROL, 23/09/11. News, Summary. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22133

Several ‘Save the Irrawaddy’ events took place around Rangoon on 23/09/11 with well-known singers and poets entertaining crowds while environmentalists and NGOs conducted workshops and seminars to promote the issue.

Sai Zom Hseing, IRROL, 26/09/11. News. Summary. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22139

Burma’s Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), under control of the Ministry of Information, has banned journalists writing about the controversial Myitsone dam project and even the Irrawaddy River in general, claim media sources. The PSRD also warned journals not to write anything which criticizes China, according to a publishing editor from Rangoon “Some of our readers wrote in with their opinions and we tried to put them in our journal as letters from the people, but the PSRD refused to allow them to be published. Another reporter from a Rangoon-based weekly journal said that while there has been no official announce-ment to ban writing about Myitsone and the Irrawaddy River, the PSRD has informally told media organizations of the new restrictions.

Ei Ei Toe Lwin, Myanmar Times, 26/09/11. News. Summary. http://mmtimes.com/2011/news/594/news59401.html

Reports on the Ayeyarwady art exhibition and the significance of the attendance of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the show. Quotes ASSK: “I would like to encourage all to unite together for the sustainability of the Ayeyarwady. If we can pursue with unity one issue that we all believe in, there will be more unity on other issues.

Aung Zaw, IRROL, 26/09/11. Opinion. Summary. http://www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=22143

The people of Burma feel that they all belong to the Irrawaddy river—it is the country’s bloodline and a key to its culture. If President Thein Sein is his own man and really wants reform, he should begin his reforms by listening to the voices of the people and exercising his executive power to suspend the Myitsone dam project. If he does so, the people in Burma may see him as visionary leader. But if he does not, then the growing campaign to save the Irrawaddy River may turn into a people’s campaign to take the matter into their own hands.

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