Burma Army Moves in to Enforce Eviction Order at Myitsone

By Kachin Development Networking Group • March 21, 2012

On March 17 five Burma army trucks and various government vehicles entered Tanghpre village at the Irrawaddy Myitsone dam site in an apparent attempt to enforce an eviction order and intimidate people to move out from the village.

Despite being ordered to move out repeatedly, some villagers have remained at the site and others have tried to return home. New eviction orders gave a March 17 deadline.

A new signboard has also been posted on the grounds of the destroyed high school in Tanghpre. The sign states “Government Land, Stay Out.”

The forced relocation process is crucial to the seven mega-dams project on the Irrawaddy and its two main tributaries in Kachin State that will submerge an area the size of Singapore and displace over 15,000 people. Tanghpre is located directly at the Myitsone and the 1,075 villagers there have been resisting relocation since 2009.

The Army moved into Tanghpre on Saturday despite appeal letters by the villagers and the 88 Generation to the Kachin State Chief Minister and Burma’s President to allow residents to stay in their homes.

On September 30 last year, President Thein Sein announced that the Myitsone dam project would be suspended for the length of his term. Since then, however, villagers that were relocated have not been allowed to return home.

“Villagers at the Myitsone are at the frontline of resistance to the Irrawaddy dams. This new assault on them is an assault on everyone relying on the river” said Tsa Ji, a spokesperson for the Kachin Development Networking Group.

Download open letter by villager; letter from tangphre villagers in Burmese

Contact – Email: [email protected], Tel: +66-848854154 Thailand, Website: www.kdng.org,

View photos of the incident below.