13 civil society organisations sent an open letter on 25 April to Shan State ethnic armed resistance groups and political parties protesting the planned construction of the Upper Yeywa and Namtu hydropower projects.

The dams are being built on the Dokhtawaddy river in Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships in northern Shan State.

Local communities who will be impacted by the dams have opposed the projects from the outset, but have been ignored by previous governments as well as by the current military regime.

According to the open letter, the dam projects will impact tens of thousands of local residents and flood 11 village tracts in Hsipaw Township, including Bawgyo Tract, the site of the historic Bawgyo pagoda, and Lilu Village in Namsang Township.

Nang Mo Seng, a member of the Namtu River Protectors said: "The 11 village tracts contain over 100 villages and tens of thousands of local residents. The majority of them are ethnic Shans, but there are also other ethnic groups living there.”

The Upper Yeywa hydropower project was begun in 2008 and is projected to start producing electricity in March 2025, while the Namtu hydropower project was scheduled to become operational in April 2022, but is still currently under construction.

Ten dams are already operational in Shan State and they currently produce more than half of Myanmar’s hydropower. Despite this, much of the population in Shan State still has no electricity.

According to the open letter none of the electricity produced by the Upper Yeywa or Namtu hydropower projects will go to Shan State.

The letter also said that the dam projects lack transparency. No social or environmental impact assessments have been carried out for either project and opinions about the dams by local communities have been distorted.

Nang Mo Seng said: “The military regime has failed to disclose who will benefit from the dam projects, and where the power generated will be used. Shan State already has ten major dams. Despite the existence of numerous dams, the inhabitants of Shan do not have complete access to power. That is why we are doubtful that it will be used for the locals.”

The letter said that because of these factors, there is an urgent need for ethnic armed resistance groups and political parties to stand together with local communities to protect Shan State’s rivers.

As of the time of reporting none of the ethnic armed organisations who were sent the letter have responded to it.

Amongst the CSOs who signed the letter were: the Global Shan Network, the Tai Youth Yangon, the Tai Youth Community South Korea, the Tai Youth Network Japan, the Tai Youth Htong Mao, the Tai Students ’Union, the Namtu River Protectors, the Progressive Youth Network Hsipaw, the Kyun Ta Htaung Myae Foundation and the Shan Youth Wing Maw.