Three Gorges Dam Yuen-ching Bellette Lee Department of Political Science University of Chicago 1/12/2019

Introduction The Yangtze River The Three Gorges Dam project Controversy over the Dam Global boycott: tension between developmentalists and environmentalists 1/12/2019

Human rights at the Three Gorges – global capital vs Human rights at the Three Gorges – global capital vs. transnational environmental lobby Involvement of western financial companies to raise fund for the $25 billion project Campaign of transnational environmental groups against financing the dam Human rights as the focus of argument 1. Environmental human rights 2. Economic, social and cultural rights – right to water and natural resources 3. Political and civil rights – beating, detention, and imprisonment of demonstrators -- petitioners charged with “disturbing the Three Gorges resettlement” – an inverted logic of justice -- state power and institutions mobilized to quell resistance 1/12/2019

Human rights at the Three Gorges – national government vs Human rights at the Three Gorges – national government vs. transnational civil society Global environmental lobby: human rights defined upon the natural rights theory rooted in a Euro-American tradition China: define rights upon particular Chinese circumstances – rights of subsistence as primary; economic development is the pre-requisite to all human rights 1/12/2019