Dozens of protesters began a 2,400-km march on Sunday to northern Myanmar, calling for the cancellation of a Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam project over environmental concerns. The $3.6 billion dam along the Irrawaddy River, which was supposed to export 90 per cent of its power to China, was suspended in 2011.
Now, many worry construction will resume after the 2015 general elections.
Waving banners calling for permanent cancellation of the Myitsone dam, around 60 people gathered early Sunday in a suburb of the main city of Yangon.
They will walk along the Irrawaddy River , said one of the organisers. He expects the march to Myitsone in Kachin state, where the dam is located, to take up to 70 days.
The vast majority of Burmese do not have access to electricity. — AP
