Xekaman 1 Dam Brings Displacement and Underdevelopment

By: 
Tanya Lee

Part 2 (Continued from previous posting)

At the edges of the construction zone of the Xekaman 1 Dam, located close to the confluence of the Sekaman and Sekong rivers,  three villages of ethnic minority people have been living for over a decade in temporary makeshift homes. They were forced to move from the surrounding hillsides when authorities told them a proposed dam project would inundate the area. At the time, villagers heard promises that they would be able to move to a permanent settlement with housing, roads and basic services. However, until such a place could be identified and developed, they were instructed to stay in temporary resettlement sites near the area being cleared for the dam site. Due to a lack of investment, the Xekaman 1 Dam was delayed, with intermittent periods of construction occurring over the past decade. As financing remained inadequate and uncertain over the course of 2013, very little work at the site progressed last year. However, with investment deals from Japan's Nomura Bank as well as Vietnam's Lienvietpost Bank recently signed, large numbers of workers from Vietnam have been transported to the site over the past few months, and the dam construction is once again advancing.

The numbers of construction workers at the Xekaman 1 site are increasing
The numbers of construction workers at the Xekaman 1 site are increasing
International Rivers

Last week, I met with people in the three settlements to hear their perspectives on the situation they are currently facing. They said that the prospect of living in a permanent place with basic amenities remains elusive, and that they are faced with a severe shortage of food as well as no access to clean water sources. They described witnessing the Sekaman become filled with sediment as dam construction has progressed, making the river no longer suitable for fishing. The surrounding once-forested area has become dusty and stripped bare by heavy logging. Encircled by the ongoing dam construction, the villagers are subject to constant monitoring by company security personnel.

The Xekaman 1 Dam project is being constructed by a corporate partnership known as the Viet-Lao Power Joint Stock Company (VLPC). With a majority ownership from Vietnam's Song Da Corporation (60%), the consortium also includes the Vietnam Rubber Group, PetroVietnam, BIDV Securities Company, and the Vietnam Electricity Group. Swiss AF Consult is acting in an advisory role to the VLPC. The Asian Development Bank is considering financing the transmission lines for the project, but has not confirmed the project loan, citing uncertainties related to project compliance with basic social and environmental standards.

Vietnam's Song Da Corporation is a majority shareholder in the Xekaman 1 Dam.
Vietnam's Song Da Corporation is a majority shareholder in the Xekaman 1 Dam.
International Rivers

In anticipation of eventual reservoir impoundment of Xekaman 1, the villagers have been told they will need to leave the area within the coming year. VLPC is not offering compensation for any land they have been cultivating, or any kind of livelihood support programs to help people cope with the changes they are being forced to undergo. The company has designated a place for resettlement where they say new homes and infrastructure will eventually be built. However, this site is surrounded by rubber tree plantations, and as a result, the villagers are adamant that it is an unsuitable place to live. According to one headman, “We have all decided we will not go to the place they told us for resettlement. There is nowhere to grow food; there are rubber tree plantations around the whole area. If we move there, the only option for us would be to work on the plantations. We want to be free, to do farming as we are used to do, and we will not agree to be pressured to become workers on a plantation.”

Yet these villagers also know they cannot stay in the makeshift homes they are living in now. The surrounding hills are being divided up into concessions for rubber plantations and logging, leaving them with limited cultivable areas. Collectively, the three villages are now deciding to relocate their homes to a place along the nearby Doum River, where they believe they would have enough land to cultivate, forest to gather food, and the river to rely upon for fish and household water supplies. They are hoping to negotiate with the government and the companies involved in building Xekaman 1 Dam to see if infrastructure will be available if they move to the site of their choosing, including a school, clinic and functioning water pumps. For now, most continue to eke out a living in the current temporary resettlement site.

Villagers continue to live beside the dam construction, waiting for a resettlement site
Villagers continue to live beside the dam construction, waiting for a resettlement site
International Rivers

A few families, led by youth who are frustrated with living in a perpetual status of limbo, have decided to begin moving their homes to land near the Doum River. They know they are taking a risk that government or company officials will pressure them to move to the site designated by authorities. Now, they say they have nothing to lose. As one young man who was in the midst of constructing the frame of his home with his family explained, “We have been waiting for more than 10 years to have a place we can call home. That is why we now decided to move here and claim a place for our house and land.”

Some families displaced by Xekaman 1 are deciding to relocate on their own, rather than waiting indefinitely to be told where to move.
Some families displaced by Xekaman 1 are deciding to relocate on their own, rather than waiting indefinitely to be told where to move.
International Rivers

Such statements of courage and resilience are rare in a place where powerful authorities and companies rely on keeping people controlled, in perpetual fear and uninformed. As more of the villagers move to join this family, at the very least, the Vietnamese consortium involved in building the Xekaman 1 Dam has a responsibility to uphold the principles in the 2005 Prime Minister's Decree 192, respecting villagers' concerns about the location of the site, offering compensation for losses, and building needed infrastructure.

Date: 
Tuesday, April 8, 2014