The Kaladan Movement, comprising Zo Indigenous Forum, Chin Human Rights Organisation and Arakan Rivers Network on 11th June, 2013 release a report "One cannot step into the same river twice: making the Kaladan Project people-centred" at Foreign Correspondent Centre, Thailand (FCCT), Bangkok, Thailand .
Mr Rajesh Swami, First Secretary (Political), Embassy of India in Thailand states the Indian position of the project as India is the project holder also Dr. Kashmira Kakati, who wrote the EIA report from India side states that her report was ignored even she contacted the concerned authority some many times.
Zo Indigenous Forum Director C. Lalremruata highlight the plight of the Kaladan landowners in Mizoram, he states that only 166 landowners receive the compensation, he also states that due to this project the environment has been badly affected as the company engaging in the project has not taken care of the forest. He also states that the area is one of the three important Biological hotspot Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and the project goes through near Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary that raise their concern on the forest, biodiversity and traditional medicine which were in danger.
The people in the project area were very poor, more than 30% were under Below Poverty Line. He mention that Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs Smt Preneet Kaur on 23 February 2011 while answering the parliament on states that " The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is being developed to provide an alternate route for transport of goods from eastern sea board to North-East India. However, the completion of the project will open up possibilities for better connectivity and movement of goods between India and Myanmar (Burma).” This has clearly shows that the project has been made only for the mainland India for its business interest in South East Asia and we are just only on the way and has no benefit as the community.
He states “People living in the project area in Mizoram State want the Kaladan Project to be a sustainable development which brings local economic benefits and does not destroy the environment.
Indigenous peoples in both India and Burma must be involved in all decision-making regarding their ancestral lands, and the principle of free, prior and informed consent must be the foundation of this kind of infrastructure development project. There must be fair compensation for land acquisition for the Kaladan Project.
The Report can be downloaded from here
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Mizoram