Nearly 300 individuals, both local residents and civil society organizations, gathered along the Anyar Phar riverbank in eastern Dawein Town, Tenasserim Division on March 14th’s International River Day to protect the area’s main source of water from damming by Chinese joint-venture companies.
U Kyin Aung, a community leader of Karen nationality, stated, “This is the one river we have in this area and everyone relies on its resource. If there is no water, we will die. I have been active for over three years [working] to protect this river since the company tried to build a dam here.”
According to U Kyin Aung, two joint-venture companies, the China Gezhauba Group International Engineer Company and Dekco Company, Myanmar Natural Energy Wave Co. Ltd, have invested in a dam project on the Anyar Phar River. The community leader stated that these two companies were invited by Yebyu Township MP U Win Oo, elected to the National Assembly in 2011, to build a dam to provide electricity and water to Dawei Town.
The local community is well-organized in its opposition to the companies’ plans, citing potential damages to the local people and river as a whole.
Township leader U Zaw Win, a Mon National League (NLD) member from Dawein Town has pledged to protect the local people from this dam project, even if the NLD has no political power, promising he will stand by the people.
A number of international and national environmental groups came to join the ceremony and to express their concerns over the disappearance of the Anyar Pyar River.
Anyar Pyar Village has a population of about 120 households, and neighbors Oo Yin Gyi, Dar Thway Kyauk, Sein Chaung, Nyaung Chaung, and Boke-pyin villages.
