Religious Leaders Want Myitsone Dam Project Canceled Permanently

Religious leaders in Myanmar want the Myitsone Dam Project to be canceled permanently. The construction of the dam was suspended in 2011, but Myanmar faces strong Chinese pressure to resume the project. Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to travel to Beijing at the end of this month to attend China's Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The Venerable U Seindita, a Buddhist monk from Asia Light Monastery and promoter of interfaith harmony in Myanmar said former president U Thein Sein promised to suspend the construction during his five year tenure and actually made it happen. He said the National League for Democracy (NLD) government should now cancel the project and pass it on to the next government.

Construction of the 6,000 megawatt Myitsone Dam started in 2009 but was put on hold for two years because of widespread opposition to its enormous flooding area and detrimental environmental impact, as well as anger over the fact that 90 per cent of its electricity would be exported to China. Beijing has been pushing Aung San Suu Kyi's administration to allow the hydropower project to resume. It argues that Chinese companies have already invested heavily in it. Religious leaders say people across Myanmar overwhelmingly oppose the Chinese-funded Myitsone dam project. They have also appealed to the national leaders that they cannot achieve development without cooperation from the people. "When people show their opposition to this project, the leaders should respect their opinions."