Kachin chief minister says he regrets opposing Myitsone Dam project

Burma News International (BNI) is a network of 15 independent media and news organizations based in and around Burma The junta-appointed chief minister of Kachin State, U Khet Htein Nan, admitted that he now regrets opposing the Myitsone Dam project. He also declared that the military regime is determined to complete the project within eight years despite continued public opposition. On June 23, members of the junta-appointed Kachin State government inspected construction of the railway linking Myitkyina, the state capital, with Mohnyin Township. During the trip, they met residents at Sarhmaw Railway Station in Sarhmaw Village and urged them to support the Myitsone Dam project. U Khet Htein Nan told residents of Sarhmaw Village in Mohnyin Township that the regime had already reached an agreement with the Chinese government to complete the Chinese-backed mega dam within eight years, even though the project would normally take around a decade to finish. "I had the opportunity to represent Kachin State and shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leader of one of the world's richest countries. He's at the very top. Under our new government, we've signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with China to strengthen cooperation across many sectors, including transportation, nuclear energy and railways. As for the Myitsone project, it could take about 10 years to complete, but since a lot of the groundwork was already done before, I believe we can finish it in just over eight years," he said. Addressing around 30 locals, the chief minister said the Myitsone project would move forward and claimed that once the dam is completed, people would no longer have to worry about electricity shortages. After his speech, authorities reportedly pressured those in attendance to applaud in support. He also claimed that the dam would be built using the latest technology capable of withstanding earthquakes of up to magnitude 8. According to his remarks, the original design had only been intended to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 6, but the structural integrity has now been strengthened under revised plans. U Khet Htein Nan also revealed that he regretted having opposed the Myitsone project in the past. "About 20 years ago, when plans for the Myitsone Dam first came up, I personally opposed the project in the Union Assembly. I deeply regret doing that now. If the project had gone ahead back then, we'd probably already be enjoying brightly lit homes instead of facing power shortages," he said. U Khet Htein Nan accompanied coup leader Min Aung Hlaing on his five-day visit to China from June 15 to 19. Just days after returning from the trip, he met with locals and lobbied them to support the Myitsone Dam project. The Myitsone Dam project was suspended indefinitely under the administration of former President U Thein Sein following nationwide opposition. Since seizing power in the 2021 coup, the military regime has repeatedly sought to revive the project. Five years after the coup, the junta has now significantly stepped up its efforts to push the long-stalled development forward.