Vietnam minority villagers refuse to make way for dam
HANOI - Some 300 ethnic minority people have returned to their former village area
after being resettled last year to make way for Vietnam's largest dam
project, a local official said Friday.
About 100 families from the Thai and other minority groups have returned
to their mountainous ancestral home that will be the site of the Son La
hydropower plant, said Lo Mai Kien, the local chief resettlement official.
"It's difficult for them to adapt to the new environment, where there is
not much space for the raising of buffalos and cows," said Kien, adding
that cattle sacrifices played a key ceremonial role for the ethnic group.
"Their habits have to change," he told AFP.
The Son La dam, about 300 kilometres (180 miles) west of Hanoi, will cost
2.6 billion dollars and is set to start generating power for
energy-starved Vietnam in 2012, with an eventual projected capacity of
2,400 megawatts.
Vietnamese officials see the Son La project as vital to Southeast Asia's
fastest growing economy, which relies on hydroelectricity for 60 percent
of its power needs.
However, the project has been controversial with critics charging it is in
an earthquake prone area and will harm the environment and way of life of
the 91,000 people to be displaced by reservoir flooding in 2010.
So far, about 8,500 people have been moved to new villages, raising
concern the mass resettlement will force villagers to change age-old
customs, abandon their ancestors' graves and change their economic
activities.
The state-run Lao Dong daily quoted one villager, Quang Phu Khu, as saying
"there is no water for agricultural crops in the new areas, making our
lives more difficult."
However, Kien said the government would encourage the 100 families to
return to the resettlement area and grant them more space for their
cattle. "It is difficult, but we will try our best and believe that the
people will be happy."
Agence France Presse - March 31, 2006.
|