Though I wasn’t born in the caveman era, I can say for sure that today’s Myanmar (Burma) exist because of Irrawaddy. It’s just a simple but plausible guess. In those old days, cavemen look only for very basic things: food, shelter, water. Irrawaddy attracts many cavemen’s along the way to gradually start our civilization. As early as back in the 6th Century, Irrawaddy has been serving uncountable ancestors of Myanmar in many ways. If Irrawaddy were a person, she actually gives breastfeeding our ancestors and all of us. Rice we have as a staple food is usually coming from the Irrawaddy’s delta aka the rice bowl of Myanmar. Without making any complaint, she carries us on her back transport from lower to upper parts of the country. In short, Irrawaddy helps Myanmar to grow and glow for centuries. She is indeed our mother and Myanmar lifelong guardian angel. She is so many things for so many people we owes her so very much in so many lives. Now she is being threatened and in danger. Some wants to take her away from you forever.
Today, millions of people talk about capricious climate changes in every corner of the world. Most of these changes are resulted from, I believe, though I can’t quote statistically here, from many reckless actions by imprudent and irresponsible states’ actors i.e. governments. Many of their actions tamper with nature and as a result millions of people suffer from the consequences arose.
Most of the environmental problems we are facing today would have been avoided if many of states’ actors in old days take time to think long-term consequences prior to carrying out certain policies and particular actions which may have negative impact on nature and ecology. Instead, in the race of development, nations take actions and formulate polices solely based on economic interest rather than the interests of the public or mother-nature.
“The Great Chinese Famine” aka “three bitter years” during Mao era in China in which both draught/bad weather & bad policies claimed more than 20 millions of people can be seen as an example of state’s actions based on economic interest. Not only China, but also US which now have spending great deal of tax payers’ money on fixing the problems created by the dams they have built in an half-century. With very little understanding of dams and their impacts on river, fifty years ago, the United States rushed into a water development program.
China, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, takes seriously of its environmental issues at home. Many environmental related policies are laid down and formulated to limit various actions which have negative impacts to environment. For instance, logging is widely banned in China. However, China is a growing giant which craves for natural resources including energy. Since it doesn’t want to hurt itself, based solely on economic interest, it engages with neighboring nations who are willing to fulfill its need. Social responsibility of Chinese Government towards citizenries from neighboring countries is very obvious to notice. Chinese Government is notoriously famous that it will engage in any arbitrary actions towards people in other nations as long as its national interests are served.
China knows well about dams and its negative impact on rivers. Recently, Chinese government admitted and acknowledged the problems of Three Gorges Dam – the world’s largest hydropower plant in China. Since, it doesn’t want to hurt itself more, its energy resources for nation’s growth are outsourced. Many teak forests from Myanmar have been disappeared during the short period of time. So are jades and rubies.
With agreement of Myanmar government, a Chinese company whose is backed up by the Chinese government is building the largest hydroelectricity project with seven large Dams in the area where two rivers meet making Irrawaddy to flow downstream. The electricity from this project is mainly for the use in China. The size of the project is as big as New York City. I have no idea how these so-called patriotic and nationalistic Generals make this kind of agreement at the expense of Irrawaddy River. We owe her so much. In the end, we just sell her out. It has invaluable historical and cultural values to Myanmar civilization. With every patriotic blood cell in my vein, I urge all Myanmar people to join hand in hand to help and protect Irrawaddy from being harmed. She is the sole reason we exist as Myanmar today. Save Irrawaddy, please. 
Max
20 July 2011
Reference:
Image Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Sagaing3.jpg
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/06/02/1226067/727997-escape-irrawaddy.jpg
