Deal #6552

Names of communities / indigenous peoples affected

Name of community

Xe Nam Noy village,

Nam Leng village,

Keo Khoun Muang village,

Don Khong, Latsasin village,

Nam Hane, Nam Tieng village,

Nam Kong village,

Houay Soy village,

Tayeuk Seua village,

Thong Nyao village

Name of indigenous people

Nya Heun (Heuny),

Jrou,

Lavaen

Comment on communities / indigenous peoples affected

Consultation of local community

Community consultation

Limited consultation

Comment on consultation of local community

The consultation process was weak and involved discussions with only their leaders.

How did the community react?

Community reaction

Rejection

Comment on community reaction

Most people did not want to relocate and leave their homes unnecessarily. A number of villagers reported that their living conditions had declined since being relocated. [Source: IRN] An old Nya Heun man from Tayeuk Seua village (relocated village) was quoted about resettlement as saying “I’d rather return to my former village because here nothing has improved. The officials have never visited us. They treat us like people who do not have any relatives.” [Source: Research Gate/ Remembering Old Homelands]

Presence of land conflicts

Yes

Comment on presence of land conflicts

Twelve Nya Heun villages were relocated into an area adjacent to Lavaen villages. The mixing of these ethnic groups created tension and conflict over land [Source: Wikipedia ]

Displacement of people

Yes

Number of people actually displaced

3 000

Number of households actually displaced

640

Comment on displacement of people

Approximately 3000 people relocated A total of 12 villages with 640 households were relocated to the new village in Ban Houay Kong. [Source: Company website]

Negative impacts for local communities

Socio-economic, Displacement, Violence, Other

Comment on negative impacts for local communities

mixing of ethnic minorities due to relocation caused tension and conflict Water dries up (for downstream) and loss of fishing opportunities, lost agricultural land and loss of livelihood and culture. Since being moved to the resettlement area, many villagers are forced to sell their labour to survive, working in nearby villages weeding other people's land. Some villagers have started moving back to areas near their old villages. [Source: Wikipedia & WRM]

Promised or received compensation

Received compensation (e.g. for damages or resettlements)

Local people who were relocated claimed that the higher government authorities have not compensated the people sufficiently according to their promises. There was also limited amount of land in the area for agriculture. [Source: IRN]

Promised benefits for local communities

Productive infrastructure (e.g. irrigation, tractors, machinery...), Capacity building, Financial support, Other

Comment on promised benefits for local communities

livelihood support

Materialized benefits for local communities

Health, Education, Roads, Financial support

Comment on materialized benefits for local communities

promised benefits were either inadequately provided or not done at all Rural Development Funds, repairing old school and built the new school, refurbished the health center and road [Source: Wikipedia]

Presence of organizations and actions taken (e.g. farmer organizations, NGOs, etc.)

Proyecto Gato - filed a complaint under the OECD's Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, arguing that Tractebel should be held responsible for adequate compensation to the people forced to move to make way for the dam