Tamanthi Dam a blessing for India, a curse for the Nagas ?

April 27 2012

A Naga International Support Center, NISC A human rights organization

Already in 2004 India signed the contract to build a hydroelectric 1200 megawatt dam project on the Chindwin River Burma/Myanmar in the middle of Naga areas. This was done in the full knowledge of dealing with an extremely repressive military regime which then hardly made ripples in the still waters.

This is different now!!

Now that the policy of the Indian and Burmese Governments are known, it has become obvious that the hydro-electric generating capacity in effect means that India gains a foothold in Burma. Though, of course, it could use the generated electricity for its rapidly expanding industries, the main idea for stepping over the international border of Burma/Myanmar is to put the Look East Policy into practice; to gain access via Burma to Southeast Asia (Moreh Mandalay Myawaddy Bangkok and beyond) as well as to China via the to be revived Stillwell Road. And so a dam in the Chindwin with a Burmese Government depending on the export of power to India means an interrelating economy with accompanying politics should make this geopolitical policy possible.

But what about the Nagas?

See the attached project plan which shows the villages which will vanish once the dam is constructed. Were the Nagas heard? Did they agree? Were they duly compensated in land, funds, perspective after their losses? No, no and no, and it does not stop with the Naga Peoples either. When one scrutinizes the Indian track record regarding Indigenous Peoples one discovers all Indigenous Peoples are treated badly; they are oppressed, their land is taken and they are forced to do as they are told, in fact they are treated worse than Dalits.

India stepped over the border and into Burma to take advantage of the Nagas there. Though Nagas of India protest in Delhi against the Hydro electric Dam project and Nagas of Burma in Burma/Myanmar, the project is still being constructed. So, rather than criticizing Burma for its coercion on the Nagas and the suppression it exerts on practically all indigenous, even though a democratic spring seemingly takes effect, it is India which profits from it most; directly for energy and indirectly politically.

Hence: the Naga International Support Center, NISC, tells the Government of India:

- to immediately stop the project to allow a thorough but impartial feasibility study on the effect on the Naga people, the effects on the ecology and the river system to be conducted. And only

- when this feasibility study warrants a go ahead that the Governments of India and Burma/Myanmar then should make sure all important factors affecting the Nagas of the Sagaing District of Myanmar/Burma are dealt: full compensation in suitable land, housing, ample lump sums to enable them to start a new life.

see the facts and figures attached and see the two UNO documents: one of which is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the list of nations which signed it; India and Burma/Myanmar both signed this declaration. Yet, both nations do not implement what they signed and this specifically concerns articles 3, 4, 5, 27 and article 28.

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10612.doc.htm