A report from the Kayan New Generation Youth reveals how military authorities in Burma have ordered 8,000 people to move from their homes in preparation for a hydroelectric dam being constructed by European and
Chinese companies that will power Naypyitaw, the country’s new capital.
The Upper Paunglaung Dam, located in Shan State 50 kilometres southeast of Naypyitaw, will produce 140 Megawatts of power and is nearly 60% finished.
The report also reveals that the regional commander and township authorities have notified villagers they must leave by October this year and will receive just US $50 in compensation. A 61-square kilometre reservoir created
by the dam will flood the entire Paunglaung valley, the only fertile plain in the area, destroying the local economy and putting pressure on the surrounding forests.