MEMORANDUM
- Let the Yarlung Sangpo/Siang River Run Free-

Date: 10 September 2010

To
Mr. Wen Jiabao
Premier of China
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi
People's Republic of China

(Through)
The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi
50-D, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021
Tel:91-11-26112345 Fax:91-11-26885486

To
Mr. Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi,
India-110 101.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.
Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857.
Sub: Dams on Yarlung Sangpo/Siang must stop

Sirs,

We, the signatories representing several organizations from India’s North East would like to extend our warmest greetings to the Governments of India and China.

We submit this memorandum to the leaders of two of the largest economies on this earth, India and China, hoping that there will be sanity and boldness in dealing with the proposed dams in upper and lower reaches of Yarlung Sangpo/Siang/Brahmaputra Rivers. Several communities in this stretch of river identify it by several names and attaches spiritual, cultural and economic importance to Nature, and they are first users and in fact the defender and protector of the river and its ecosystem. We fear that this being not only one of the finest rivers but also the finest ecosystems on earth, the communities surviving on this ecosystem will be destroyed by the politics of water and energy and the game of one-upmanship of these great nations.

To the Government of China
Newspaper reports and other sources confirm that China is not only building a series of dams but also diverting water in the upper reaches of the Siang river in the China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). It also tells us that some millions of gallons of water will be diverted to dryer parts of China resulting in massive flow reduction. Any blocking of the river either by way of building any kind of dams or by simply diverting it will have irreparable and devastating impact on the ecosystems and the peoples way of life in Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and also in the lower reaches of Bangladesh.

We also fear that India’s efforts to build many dams (including the ones in Lohit and Subansiri rivers) is a way to pre-empt any Chinese dam upstream using the highly illogical view of stopping dams in upstream by building dams in the lower portion of the river. Nor can China build dams because of the unfounded logic that the country downstream is not using its water. Both the logic is problematic for the very fact that this river, its water and its ecosystem are already being used by the people settled along these rivers for generations.

To the Government of India
For a mere 8 – 10 % growth we cannot allow thousands of people to be displaced from their ancestral villages, nor can we allow millions of trees, of medicinal plants, of numerous other fauna and flora to be submerged or perish due to lack of water. We cannot allow thousands of fisherfolks and farmers to suffer for lack of water or live in constant fear of a dam break. We cannot facilitate the destruction of our bio-diversity for the sake of India’s GDP.

India is not only making efforts to building dams in Siang river but is preparing to built more than 100 mega dams in other rivers of the Northeast. Apart from the numerous problems associated with Dams, building dams on the Siang has serious implications. We have witnessed painful conflict between India and China in the sixties and we do not want to see the conflict continue or escalate as ultimately it is the people suffer (like those who live in Arunachal, in particular). We see that there is already an additional conflict brewing due to the dams proposed both by China and India. For this reason both the country must refrain from building any dams in the whole stretch of this river. This will help build peace and trust between the two countries. Building dams on Siang or in Yarlung Sangpo will therefore be considered as seeking conflict.

Proposals:
1. Stop all existing and proposed dam construction activities on Siang River both in China and India.
2. Collectively agree to hold these river(s) as Heritage Rivers for all future generations to come.

Signatories

1. North East Peoples Alliance, NE wide
2. Arunachal Citizen’s Rights, Arunachal
3. Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti, Assam
4. Nefa Indigenous Human Right Organisation, Arunachal Pradesh
5. Society of Arunachal Volunteers for Environment (SAVE)
6. Siang People’s Forum (Arunachal Pradesh)
7. Adi Students Union (Arunachal Pradesh)
8. Athupopo Social Foundation, Arunachal
9. Center for Social Development, Manipur
10. Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action, Manipur
11. Citizens Concern for Dams and Development, Manipur
12. Dialogue on Indigenous Culture and Environment, Nagaland
13. Eastern Action Socio-Economic Development, Assam
14. United Tribal Development Project, Manipur
15. Human Rights Alert, Manipur
16. SEMKASH Women Welfare Society, Nagaland
17. Ellen Welfare Society, Nagaland
18. Bethesda Youth Welfare Center, Nagaland
19. Borok People Human Rights Organization, Tripura
20. Committee on Peoples and Environment, Assam
21. North East Dialogue Forum, NE wide
22. River Basin Friends, Assam
23. Indigenous People Foundation, Arunachal
24. Tripura Student’s Federation, Tripura
25. Borok Women Forum, Tripura
26. World Mountain Peoples Forum, Meghalaya
27. North East Affected Area Development Society, Assam
28. Eastern Action Socio-Economic Development, Assam
29. Hmar Students Association, Manipur
30. All Tribal Student Union, Manipur
31. Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project, Manipur
32. Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim
33. Reachout, Manipur
34. Centre for Environment Protection, Mizoram
35. Rally of Shella Village Natives, Meghalaya
36. Mapithel Dam Affected Villages Organization, Manipur
37. People's Movement for Subsansiri Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
38. Krishak Mukhti Sangram Samiti, Assam
39. Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, NE wide
40. Committee on Land and Natural Resources, Manipur
41. Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organization, NE wide
42. Takam Mishing Porin Kebang, Assam
43. Mising Mimag Kebang, Assam
44. United NGO Mission, Manipur
45. PRISM, Mizoram
46. Loktak People’s Forum, Manipur
47. Civil Society Women’s Organization, Meghalaya
48. North Eastern Social Research Centre, Assam
49. All Kamatapur Student’s Organization, Assam
50. Mizo Youth Convention, Mizoram
51. Mizo Zirlai Pawl, Mizoram