Ethnic Kachin people in northern Burma have called for global action and prayers to halt the Irrawaddy dam project by the Burmese military junta, which is heading towards demolishing historic places of the ethnics even as it threatens their lives.
The Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) is distributing leaflets around the country and the international community to pray on Kachin State day on January 10, 2010 to halt the hydro electric power project.
The general secretary of KDNG, Tsaji from inside the country told KNG that they plan to bring awareness among Kachin people and internationally on the real dangers of the Myitsone hydro electric power project to the state and civilians.
“We want every Kachin person to be aware about how the dam project will affect and endanger their lives,” said Tsaji.He said the purpose of encouraging everyone to pray on State Day is “Hoping everyone will see the problems and difficulties Kachin people are facing.”
The Myitsone dam project located over 20 miles from Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State has been officially started from 21 December 2009, ignoring the wishes of local people by the junta.
The Myitsone hydropower dam will be 500 feet high and will produce about 6,000 MW. The power will be sold to China and the junta will generate USD 500 million in one year, said KDNG.
The junta has ordered around 60 villages and more than 15,000 people living around the dam construction site to move to other places said KDNG.
“We want to call upon the international community to react against this project because this is affecting millions of people and becoming a real danger for a human race,” said Tsaji.
The KDNG said that the dam was close to the Sagaing fault line about 100 kilometres away and if the dam collapses more than 3 million people living along the Irrawaddy river side will die.
The Myitkyina Zonal Kachin Baptist Church under the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) also plans to pray for 24 hours starting on 17 January at every single church in Myitkyina, said local pastors.
The Myitsone Hydropower construction project is being handled by the Junta’s Ministry of Electric Power (1), Chinese government-owned China Power Investment Cooperation (CPI) and Asia World Company.
