"The devastating impact that a proposed 1040-megawatt dam would have on the river and the communities along it were outlined in the report, “Blocking a Bloodline: Indigenous Communities along the Tanintharyi River Fear the Impact of Large-Scale Dams.” Naw Paw Say Wah, director of Candle Light, said they estimate that construction of the dam could displace up to 7000 people in 32 villages along the upstream reaches of the Tanintharyi River. “This dam will also have serious effects on the lives and livelihoods of over 23,000 people who live downstream of the proposed project,” she added. The dam proposal put forward by Thai-owned GMS Co., along with 17 other dam proposals on the river have been developed without the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities, and threaten to destroy their primary source of water, food and transportation, according to the reports. The report, based on surveys of over 1200 people living along the Tanintharyi River, highlights the importance of the river to community livelihoods, access to water, transportation and cultural practices. It presents the impact that the dam proposals would have on the lives of indigenous people, forests and biodiversity, and the future of peace and stability in the region. “We local people must be included in all decision-making regarding our territories because we have the knowledge and ability to manage our own resources,” said U Ye Aung, a member of Rays of Kamoethway Indigenous People and Nature..."