1. The Study of Ethnic Rights to Access the Salween River Saw John Bright (Water Governance Program Coordinator – KESAN) MK31 Salween Research Fellow 2016 Salween University Network Meeting January 29-30, 2016, Chaing Mai University, Thailand

2. Objectives To analyze how the official decision making process on Hatgyi Dam project and its social – political impacts is taking place. To investigate whether the official process respect the communities’ rights as currently detailed in the law? To find out about what are ethnic community expectations towards water governance of Salween river in the peace process and how they seek to protect their rights and rites. To explore more about how community responses with serious gender perspective are taking place to the Salween issue towards conflict resolution in the ceasefire context

3. Literature Review Good water governance in Salween River, How? Community perspectives in State’s language Knowledge gaps in different scale Key issue on the ground (Natural resource governance in Ethnic perspective)

4. Framing of my research Political Ecology Rights and Rites approached Fairness (procedural justice) and Equality (distributive justice) Natural Resource Governance in the context of Decentralization

5. Research Site Kaw Ku Village Community as local level -Two focus group discussions -In-depth interview The village head, 2 local community leaders, 3 mainly farming families, 3 mainly fishing families Hpa-an and Nay Pyi Taw in State and National Level -In-depth interview 2 MPs, 2 expertise, 2 government officials (MOEP; MoT; ???), politicians, 2 ethnic leaders

6. Main Research Question How could decision making better be informed in Water Governance of the Salween to enable community have a sustainable access to the river?

7. Sub-Research Questions How official decision making process on Hatgyi Dam project and its social – political impacts is taking place? Does the official process respect the communities’ rights as currently detailed in the law? What are ethnic community expectations towards water governance of Salween river in the peace process? How are communities seeking to protect their “rights” and “rites”? Include this or not? How community responses with serious gender perspective are taking place to the Salween issue towards conflict resolution in the ceasefire context?

8. Some interesting areas currently to look around my research Salween River still remain in conflict zone with fragile peace process Unclear policy frameworks Strategic Environment Assessment (IFC support MOEP and MOECAF) SMEC ESIA assessment without unclear processes New Government is about to take place

9. Thank You!