Release Ebo Mili & Stop large dams in Arunachal Pradesh & across NE
- 8th July 2024 -
- Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRA) -
- Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), Sikkim -

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The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRA) and Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), Sikkim express our concern with the arbitrary detention of Advocate Ebo Mili, and Dunge Apang, Convenor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) on 8 July 2024 by the Arunachal Pradesh Police.

Mr. Ebo and Dunge were detained for attempting to hold a peaceful demonstration in Itanagar against the signing of Memorandums of Agreement (MoAs) with hydropower companies to build large dams in Arunachal Pradesh.

The major hydropower projects (HEPs) pursued for agreements with dam building companies, viz, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited etc includes the 3097 MW Etalin HEP, 680 MW Attunli HEP, 700 MW Tato-II HEP, 1000 MW Naying HEP, 500 MW Hirong HEP, 1800 MW Kamala HEP in Siang and Dibang River basin etc.

The arbitrary detention of Advocate Ebo Mili and Mr. Dunge constitute a harassment and violation of fundamental rights of indigenous human rights defenders for raising legitimate concerns with large hydropower projects over the Siang and Dibang River basins in Arunachal Pradesh. Mr. Ebo was earlier subjected to judicial harassment for his protest against large dams in March 2022 and August 2023.

The arbitrary detention of Mr. Ebo MIli and Dunge without arrest warrant represents a violation of democratic rights enshrined under India’s constitution and the indigenous peoples’ rights, as guaranteed under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007.

CRA and ACT calls upon the Government of India to stop arbitrary detention of Mr. Ebo Mili and Dunge Apang and to stop all forms of harassment of indigenous human rights defenders for asserting their indigenous rights and concerns with unsustainable development. The Government should recognize the myriad social, cultural and environmental impacts inflicted on indigenous peoples due to large dams building in the fragile Himalayan biodiversity, as evidenced by the 1200 MW Teesta III dam disaster in Sikkim. Large hydropower projects will worsen climate change impacts, viz, landslides, floods etc.

CRA, Manipur and ACT, Sikkim calls upon the Government of India to stop pursuing large hydropower projects, especially the proposed 11,000 MW Upper Siang Multipurpose project in Arunachal Pradesh and in other parts of North East such as the proposed 520 MW Teesta IV Hydroelectric Project over the Teesta River in Sikkim.

The Government should recognize indigenous peoples self-determined development priorities, free prior and informed consent and intrinsic rights over their land and resources.

(Gyatso Lepcha)
General Secretary,
ACT, Sikkim

(Jiten Yumnam)
Secretary
CRA, Manipur