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SALWEEN WATCH HOTMAIL OUT
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SALWEEN MEGADAM Salween Watch 24th February 1999 Vol.1 --------------------------------------- The Salween River is one of the great rivers of South East Asia. It is a cold, fast flowing river that runs through earthquake-prone, lightly populated and steep mountainous areas for most of its course. In Burma it flows through the Shan, Karenni, Karen and Mon states, areas torn by decades of war. Its rapid fall, high gorges and the relatively sparse adjacent population make it attractive to dam builders. Although different official sources state different things, the justification for the dam will be twofold. The dam is being planned to divert water from the Salween into Thailand, as well as to produce an estimated 3,300 to 3,600 megawatts of electricity for Thailand and Burma. The proposed dam would enable Burma to exploit the Salween's large potential to generate electrical energy. For years Burma has suffered daily blackouts even in its major cities, a problem to which there is little relief in sight. For Thailand the dam could replenish its dwindling water supplies. Parts of the country have faced severe water shortages in 1992, 1995, and 1998 / 99 due to degradation of the watershed forests, climate change and conflicting water management objectives. Competition between farm irrigation requirements on one side and hydropower, industrial and city requirements on the other has contributed to the shortages. The two largest dams in Thailand, the Bhumiphol and Sirikit dams, frequently do not have enough water for irrigation, let alone water for the government prioritized "cheap" hydro-electricity. Currently the country is in the throes of a drought year so officials are actively promoting water supply projects for all they are worth. Thailand does not now need hydro-power as it is suddenly faced with an energy glut due to contraction of the market following its economic crash. Nevertheless its politicians and the vested interest groups behind them, like consultants and big construction companies, are still pushing for the creation of more large power plants. Successive Thai governments and officials have long been talking about water from the Salween being channeled to the Bhumiphol and Sirikit reservoirs hundreds of kilometers away. The Thai government, in the context of the "constructive engagement" approach to relations with its aggressive Burmese neighbours, has frequently raised with them the subject of joint development of a dam. The ruling Burmese State Peace and Development Council has in more recent years begun reciprocating, and has suggested its own sites. These negotiations resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Thailand to buy 1,500 megawatts of electricity from Burma by the year 2010 being signed in August 1997. An MoU on the supply of water to Thailand from the Salween had nevertheless proven elusive. The Burmese in late 1993 disagreed on the content of the draft MoU proposed by Thailand. However in the article on the 20th January 1999 the Thai Science, Technology and Environment Minister stated that the MoU with the Burmese government for the use of water from the Salween River has already been signed. If so, the agreement has been signed in secret and without the public having an opportunity to evaluate or comment upon the many implications of such an agreement. Previously, the economic cost of the dam, combined with its intense political sensitivity and the inevitable environmental and social issues would have rendered its construction impossible. Figures for the price tag on the dam quoted by local sources familiar with the current feasibility project range from US$4 billion up to $7 billion. Now however there are indicators that the Japanese government may under certain circumstances be more inclined to accommodate the request. A recent UN / World Bank offer of US $ 1 billion in conditional assistance may also indicate that Western countries may not oppose such a move strongly enough to prevent it. The Japanese government has been criticized in recent years for resuming some aid payments to the Burmese regime. It has however been noted that the Japanese are concerned about greatly increasing Chinese influence, presence, money and technology in Burma. There is strong lobbying in Japan for further resumption of financial assistance to Burma to pre-empt the loss to China of opportunity in Burma.
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