Suspected artillery strike wounds four at dam project

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 23:52 Myint Maung

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Four workers were injured at the Thaukyegat hydropower project in Htantabin Township after shells believed to be fired by Karen National Union troops fell on the site operated by a subsidiary of Asia World Company, which has close ties to Burma’s ruling junta.
At least two shells hit the site in Pegu (Bago) Division yesterday. The injured were being treated at one of two Taungoo Township hospitals.

“We are not yet clear about [details of] the attack … whether it was a clash or an attack on the project to teach the junta a lesson for going ahead with the project against the wishes of the local people. But there was a skirmish,” KNU Joint Secretary (1) Major Saw Hla Ngwe said.

He said the project had started after land was confiscated from farmers and forced labour was used.

The more than 70 Chinese experts from Yunnan Province who work at the site left after the suspected artillery attack.

A series of blasts hit the Myitsone hydropower project site in Kachin State on April 17, injuring a Chinese engineer.

Both the Thaukyegat and Myitsone projects are managed by Asia World Construction, a subsidiary of Asia World, which is owned by Tun Myint Naing (a.k.a. Steven Law), son of the notorious drug lord Lo Hsing Han.

The parent company is the subject of direct sanctions by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States over close links to drug-trafficking and the Burmese junta, the governments’ sanctions websites report.