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Urgent request for action on the pl

Subject: Urgent request for action on the plans to dam the Salween River 

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SALWEEN WATCH

Northern Thailand,
18th November 1999.


Dear Friends,

The attached message, which we hope you are interested in and can open =
with
no difficulties, is about the plans to build giant dams on the Salween =
River
in Burma. The planning has now reached a critical decision making stage,
beyond which it will become ever more difficult to stop this nightmare
project from going ahead.

The 'feasibility study' for what is understood will be a 188 metre high,
3,300 megawatt hydroelectric dam has already been completed. It is =
believed
that governments and financiers are now evaluating this study with a =
view to
approving or rejecting it. We have heard news that a decision is likely =
to
be made by December 1999.

Another related development that may be decided very soon to build power
lines to supply electricity to Burma from Thailand, which currently has =
a
big oversupply. Thailand may approve either the dams or the power line =
as a
way to make peace with the Burmese military.

Damming the Salween River in Burma would have extraordinarily harmful
consequences above and beyond the many negative environmental and social
impacts large dams are well known to have on forests, farmlands, =
wildlife,
fisheries, downstream soil fertility, geological stability, debt levels,
communities, etc.

The Salween runs through areas that are the heartlands of ethnic and
indigenous peoples who have been suffering in what has been described as =
the
longest continuously running civil war in current history. The attempts =
to
dam the river are part of a comprehensive military strategy by one of =
the
world's most brutal military regimes to finalize their occupation of =
these
ethnic lands.

The reality of what the Salween dam plans represent is untold suffering =
for
tens of thousands of people in the Shan States whose villages are in, =
around
and to the west of the dam flood area. Some 1,400 villages of these =
people
have recently been forced from their lands in the context of a so-called
anti-insurgency program. Tens of thousands of Karens and Karenni people =
are
already living in refugees camps in Thailand, having been driven from =
their
lands by previous military operations in projected flood and dam site =
areas.
The plans that are most advanced are for a dam that will flood dozens of
villages and many hundreds of kilometers of forest and farmland. This =
would
forever deprive the internally displaced peoples and the refugees of the
lands they yearn to return to.

Damming the Salween will benefit few people other than those in the
privileged business, bureaucratic and military circles. They will deepen =
the
suffering of many who already have far more than their share of misery. =
We
therefore request that you add your voices and written words to ours to =
try
to stop these plans from advancing further. Thanking you for your =
attention
and whatever efforts you can take towards this goal.

Salween Watch members

----------------
NOTE: For attachment files in Word format, please contact:- Salween =
Watch
<salweenwatch@xxxxxxxxxxx>






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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>SALWEEN WATCH<BR><BR>Northern =
Thailand,<BR>18th=20
November 1999.<BR><BR><BR>Dear Friends,<BR><BR>The attached message, =
which we=20
hope you are interested in and can open with<BR>no difficulties, is =
about the=20
plans to build giant dams on the Salween River<BR>in Burma. The planning =
has now=20
reached a critical decision making stage,<BR>beyond which it will become =
ever=20
more difficult to stop this nightmare<BR>project from going =
ahead.<BR><BR>The=20
'feasibility study' for what is understood will be a 188 metre =
high,<BR>3,300=20
megawatt hydroelectric dam has already been completed. It is =
believed<BR>that=20
governments and financiers are now evaluating this study with a view=20
to<BR>approving or rejecting it. We have heard news that a decision is =
likely=20
to<BR>be made by December 1999.<BR><BR>Another related development that =
may be=20
decided very soon to build power<BR>lines to supply electricity to Burma =
from=20
Thailand, which currently has a<BR>big oversupply. Thailand may approve =
either=20
the dams or the power line as a<BR>way to make peace with the Burmese=20
military.<BR><BR>Damming the Salween River in Burma would have =
extraordinarily=20
harmful<BR>consequences above and beyond the many negative environmental =
and=20
social<BR>impacts large dams are well known to have on forests, =
farmlands,=20
wildlife,<BR>fisheries, downstream soil fertility, geological stability, =
debt=20
levels,<BR>communities, etc.<BR><BR>The Salween runs through areas that =
are the=20
heartlands of ethnic and<BR>indigenous peoples who have been suffering =
in what=20
has been described as the<BR>longest continuously running civil war in =
current=20
history. The attempts to<BR>dam the river are part of a comprehensive =
military=20
strategy by one of the<BR>world's most brutal military regimes to =
finalize their=20
occupation of these<BR>ethnic lands.<BR><BR>The reality of what the =
Salween dam=20
plans represent is untold suffering for<BR>tens of thousands of people =
in the=20
Shan States whose villages are in, around<BR>and to the west of the dam =
flood=20
area. Some 1,400 villages of these people<BR>have recently been forced =
from=20
their lands in the context of a so-called<BR>anti-insurgency program. =
Tens of=20
thousands of Karens and Karenni people are<BR>already living in refugees =
camps=20
in Thailand, having been driven from their<BR>lands by previous military =

operations in projected flood and dam site areas.<BR>The plans that are =
most=20
advanced are for a dam that will flood dozens of<BR>villages and many =
hundreds=20
of kilometers of forest and farmland. This would<BR>forever deprive the=20
internally displaced peoples and the refugees of the<BR>lands they yearn =
to=20
return to.<BR><BR>Damming the Salween will benefit few people other than =
those=20
in the<BR>privileged business, bureaucratic and military circles. They =
will=20
deepen the<BR>suffering of many who already have far more than their =
share of=20
misery. We<BR>therefore request that you add your voices and written =
words to=20
ours to try<BR>to stop these plans from advancing further. Thanking you =
for your=20
attention<BR>and whatever efforts you can take towards this =
goal.<BR><BR>Salween=20
Watch members</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>----------------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>NOTE: For attachment files in Word format, =
please=20
contact:- Salween Watch<BR>&lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:salweenwatch@xxxxxxxxxxx";>salweenwatch@xxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt;=
<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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