After Decades of War and Strife, Myanmar is Saying No To China's Colossal $3.6 Billion Dam

If you haven’t been living in a cave for the past decade, you know that China basically runs the planet. Sure, the United States likes to think they have a say in the future of the world's economy, but we all know where the iPhones and PlayStations are made.

In the past few decades, China has emerged as a prominent world power and with that comes massive energy and economic needs—a looming responsibility that has required massive foreign investment in countries such as distant as Angola and Brazil and especially those within its own geographical region—such as Myanmar.

As a small, underdeveloped, ethnically diverse and war-torn country adjacent to China's southeast border, Myanmar has struggled since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Also known as Burma by countries who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of their military-run government (basically every other sovereign government), Myanmar has been riding China's coat-tails into the modern age of economic development. However, this could all change following recent announcements made by Myanmar's new, apparently more democratic government administration.

Thein Sein, president of Myanmar, made an unprecedented move several days ago to halt production on the colossal $3.6 billion Myitsone Dam near the country's northeast border with China for the remainder of his term as president. Not only is this a huge surprise for China, as Myanmar is one of the least-developed nations in the world (the World Health Organization ranked its healthcare system at 190th, aka last place) and relies heavily on Chinese foreign investment, but it is also a big shocker for Mynamar's citizens and the onlooking world as well, seeing as President Sein came to power through allegedly rigged elections in 2010 after years of Myanmar being run as "one of the worst dictatorships in the world" by a military junta since its independence.

This is a remarkable move for many reasons. For one, China is Myanmar's largest foreign investor and the dam would provide thousands of jobs and steady revenue for the country, seeing as China was set to purchase a majority of the electricity produced by the plant. In 2010, China pumped over $8 billion dollars into the country. Look at it this way: if you have an older, bigger sibling with an irascible personality and questionable morals (sorry little sister), you know just how hard it can be to stand up to them. Especially if they are fourteen times larger, nearly 163 times richer, and are standing angrily right beside you. Needless to say, the cons of bucking Big China are pretty heavily stacked against the pros, as far as government relationships and investments go.

However the most remarkable aspect of this decision is the implications it has for the people of Myanmar. President Sein's reasoning for halting the construction is simply that it's "contrary to the will of the people." I know, right? Remember that this is Myanmar, a constant violator of United Nations human rights standards, from child labor to human trafficking to freedom of speech, so-called “worst dictatorship in the world”, and host to the oldest ongoing war in the world. Hooray, progress!

So why exactly is the Myitsone Dam construction "contrary to the will of the people," you may ask? Well, besides the countless extreme environmental impacts, the dam construction would flood an area roughly the size of Singapore and force over 10,000 people off their ancestral lands. To top it off, this is not the only dam China is hoping to build on the Irrawaddy River along the Burmese border, but one of seven. This fact alone has led to fighting between government forces and the Kachin Independence Organization (a military group in cooperation with the people being forced off their ancestral lands), an unnecessary, additional conflict in a country that’s essentially been at war with itself since 1948.

Along with fears of environmental degradation, imminent domain abuses, and additional fuel for the country's on-going civil war, many Burmese people fear becoming a de facto Chinese province, considering around two million Chinese nationals have immigrated into the country already (this being a country of only around 60 million in itself). Needless to say, Myanmar’s new government is facing huge challenges and is looking inward to help solve its own problems, which actually rules.

From the looks of it, President Sein and Myanmar appear to be reaching out to the West for a little support. And maybe we should support Myanmar. Their government, after all is actually listening to and doing what is best for their citizens. A concept both China and the United States could learn from.

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