Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A power cable at the Mali Stream Hydropower Station owned by the Kachin Independence Organization [KIO] has been cut since Tuesday and could take a week to repair, according to an official of the Buga Company.
The cable provides electricity to Myitkyina and Waimaw.
The KIO alleged that the government was responsible for the severed cable, and that it could have occurred during a recent movement of troops and supplies.
“They cut the power line by bullets,” said La Nang, a KIO spokesperson. “And the power line was cut at Lonzak Hill which is controlled by the government. Then they sent troops to the front. They deployed extra troops within a short time.”
The KIO’s Buga company has provided electricity to Myitkyina and Waimaw since 2006. The Tabak Stream Hydropower Station generates 9.8 megawatts of electricity.
On Wednesday, the government deployed extra troops from Brigade No. 88 to Myitkyina, crossing the Irrawaddy River during the evening, La Nang said.
On June 12, the KIO recalled its employees from the liaison office in Myitkyina and the Buga Company for security reasons, but it continued to provide electricity to Myitkyina and Waimaw.
