If a recent article in the Global Times, a semi-official Chinese publication, is anything to go by, China has not given up hope of restarting its hydroelectric power project at Myitsone in northern Myanmar.
Suspended by the Myanmar government in September 2011, the US$3.6 billion project would have flooded 600 square kilometers of forest land and 90% of the electricity was earmarked for export to China. At the time, then-President Thein Sein said that any implementation of the project would be “against the wishes of the people”. Thousands of people had demonstrated against the project, which they said would devastate northern Myanmar with little benefit for people in the country.
The June 14 article in the Global Times said that the “hydropower station is a commercial cooperation that China and Myanmar have agreed upon” and “its long suspension is likely to drive down investor confidence amid concerns over the uncertainty of Myanmar’s economic policy.”
The paper did acknowledge, though, that because of “a complicated public opinion surrounding the project” it’s unrealistic to expect breaking news about Myitsone any time soon. But “China will keep talking to Myanmar over the stalled dam and try to find a practical way to resume the project based on mutually beneficial cooperation.”
It is unclear why the Chinese are raising the issue now, and they are obviously aware of the fact the project is immensely unpopular among the Myanmar public at large. Any serious effort to have it resumed would inevitably lead to a resumption of anti-Chinese protests in Myanmar, which China can ill-afford given the decline of its influence in the country since 2011.
It is more likely that China is using the specter of Myitsone to push for concessions from the Myanmar government for a much more important project: the deep sea port at Kyaukphyu on the Bay of Bengal. That is not a very popular project either, but somewhat less so than Myitsone, which would have a disastrous impact on northern Myanmar’s ecosystems.
See how greedy China is. China needs electricity to power their industrial projects but to the expense of other nations’ resources. This project is of little benefits to Myanmar people and besides it will submerge 600 square kilometres of forest land. This project will make life much harder in Northern Myanmar.
Probably your land and house will not be flooded by the project, right?
Myanmar government and China invester should disclose the detail project’s contract (between Myanmar & China) and benefits of Dam for the native to public. Because most of the China projects in Myanmar, the benefit to Myanmar citizen is too small rather than the Chinese investers, like Copper mine project, oil & gas pipe line project and Kyuakphu deep sea port project. Thus Myanmar people disagree to accept to restart such Mitsone Dam project. It is my thought only.
the author is purposefully incomplete, 90% power exported for a set time to pay for the expense… I’m not saying this project should continue, just pointing out blatant bias reporting
Yu Hsieh
More propaganda !
Myanmar is suffering from blackouts and realise now that fossil fuel imports are a huge burden for its economy. Myanmar will control and can use more and more of the electricity as it develops its electrical transmission infrastructure. 90% may well be exported to China in the initial phase but the for hard currency earnings will help to pay back the loans.
The Myitsone dam will increase prosperity and stability in the region, help to alleviate the poverty and foster peace! It is good for Myanmar and its people..