 |
SALWEEN WATCH HOTMAIL OUT
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SALWEEN MEGADAM Salween Watch 24th February 1999 Vol.1 SALWEEN ACTION ALERT, slightly revised from original sent out on 1st Febuary 1999 SALWEEN ACTION ALERT Source: Salween Watch Consortium After years of talk but little action, there are now strong indications of serious efforts on behalf of Thai, Burmese and Japanese companies to gain approval and funds for damming the mighty Salween River in Burma. The dam would be both for electricity generation plus large-scale diversion of water from the Salween and into Thailand's perennially depleted dams and its polluted Chaophraya River. If built, the dam - or dams - would have far greater environmental impacts than the controversial Burma -Thailand Yadana gas pipeline. It would also have many of the same negative human rights, political and economic consequences. These moves come in the wake of the announcement of the US$ 30 billion Japanese economic recovery plan by the conservative LDP government, and talk of resumed humanitarian and technical aid by the UN and World Bank. We ask your help in opposing this unacceptable project and the corruption-ridden, socially and environmentally unsound development ideology that it is a part of. On the 2nd of February the Thai Government decided to approve a proposal by the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry to carry out a feasibility study on what it calls the Salween Water Diversion Project. According to Science, Technology and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, the feasibility study will be carried out as quickly as possible. The Ministry is seeking 185 million Thai Baht (approximately US $ 5.5 million) for the study, a notably large budget for a feasibility study. <<<<<<<<< Next >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> |
