Salween Hydro Power Plan in Karen State

The Salween River is the longest undammed river in Southeast Asia, flowing from southern China through Burma's eastern ethnic states and along the Thai-Burmese border.

The Burmese military regime is planning a series of giant hydropower dams along the Salween, including in Karen State, where Civil war has been raging for over half-a-century as the indigenous Karen people continue to struggle for greater autonomy. Surveying is underway for three dams in the Karen area adjoining Thailand.

The Burmese regime plans to sell the electricity from dams to neighbouring Thailand, and use the profits to subsidize their military expenditure and strengthen their control of the ethnic states.

The local Karen will suffer not only from displacement from the flooded area, and damage to the rich ecosystem, but also from increased militarization around the dam-sites.

As with other such "development" projects by the regime, increased military presence will mean further human rights abuses, such as forced relocation, forced labour, extrajudicial killing, torture and sexual violence.

Proposed dam facts:

Upper Salween Dam:

            - Height 168 meters

            - Power capacity 4,540 MW

Lower Salween Dam:

            - Height 49 meters

            - Power capacity 792 MW

Estimated cost for Upper and Lower Salween Dam: Over US$5 billion ()

Surveyed by Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand

Hat Gyi Dam

            - Height (current surveying)

            - Power capacity (estimate 1,000 1,200 MW)

Estimated cost for Hat Gyi Dam:

 Current Survey by: EGAT, Sino Hydro