Symposium on Power Development in Myanmar and the Ayeyawady Project Held by ACHC during New Year Festival of Shan People

From December 26 to 27, ACHC was invited to take part in the New Year Festival of Shan People held in Bhamo, Kachin State. U Sai Sein Lin, the head of Division of the Shan People Affairs of the Government of Kachin State, government officials from Bhamo, abbots of monasteries, leaders of Shan people and thousands of the public took part in this Festival.

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During this Festival, ACHC, together with the Committee of the Shan People Affairs, held a symposium on power development in Myanmar and the Ayeyawady Project with more than 100 leaders and representatives of Shan people from all over Myanmar. Leaders of Shan people showed deep concerns on flood regulation and control and agricultural irrigation in large hydropower projects, and how to promote the local economic development via HPP construction. Work staff from ACHC, by quoting the living examples of how to carry out comprehensive treatment in the Yangtze River and how to solve the flooding problem that lasted for a thousand year at lower reaches via construction of the Three-gorges HPP, replied to those leaders in details. During this symposium, ACHC actively carried out the popularization and publicity of science about HPP development, and issued more than 500 sets of publicity materials, which were widely welcomed.

U Khin Maung Aye, the Secretary General of Central Committee of Shan Literature and Culture (also the Honorary President of the Committee of the Shan People Affairs) said that power was the precondition for the economic development and improvement in people's livelihood, HPP was the energy source best for the development in Myanmar, and the public should correctly understand and recognize the HPP development. Ko Htun Htun, the Chairman of the Youth Committee of Shan People, wished that ACHC could carry out popularization of science about HPP development and publicity of the Ayeyawady Project in Moe Ning, Moe Kaung etc. in Kachin State, so that more people would know the benefits of HPP development.In the New Year Festival of Shan People, leaders of Shan people from all over Myanmar are invited to celebrate the harvest, and to discuss together on the historical and cultural heritage and national revival of Shan people. This Festival has been held for four times by now, and the next will be held in Sagaing.