The government of Guinea is constructing a massive dam on the Konkouré river to produce electricity.

The dam is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s trillion dollar investment in infrastructure worldwide.

Yasmin Dagne – Human Rights Watch:

The Souapiti Hydro Electric dam will flood a vast zone home to dozens of villages, all of which must be relocated. And thousands of hectors of farmland will also be destroyed.

 

The dam is displacing 16,000 people

We spoke to residents of Konkouré before they were relocated.

 

Thierno Babagalé Bah:

I was born here. It was my ancestors who founded this village. We’re going to leave a lot of things behind, like our plantations. We leave it for the development of Guinea.

 

Fatoumata Barry:

If we had the choice, we wouldn’t leave. But since the government tells us we will be relocated, we have to do it. Otherwise, we’d have liked to be buried on our land, next to our parents.

 

By October 2019, flood waters had reached Konkouré and the village was relocated.

Communities are resettled in new homes surrounding the dam’s reservoir.

But many people have lost the farmland and grazing fields they relied on for food.

 

Boubacar Bah:

We were brought here but they didn’t show us where to farm. So how will we farm? We can’t farm. How can the government help us?

 

The government has promised to help farmers adapt and find new income sources but so far communities have seen little support.

 

Yasmin Dagne – Human Rights Watch:

The government of Guinea is happy to talk up the benefits that Souapiti’s electricity will bring, but the government can and should do more to ensure that the project does not harm the communities most affected by it.

西藏自治區的兒童正在失去接受母語教育的機會。

數以千計的老師從外地調來，他們不需要懂藏文。

中小學校已經用漢語授課，現在更規定要從幼兒園開始，也就是3歲。

藏人現在只能在藏文課學習母語。

藏族兒童：除了我爺爺，家里基本上沒有第二個人會說藏語

藏人原本就遭受嚴厲限制，沒有自由表達、集會和信仰宗教的權利。

年輕人不再能說流利藏語，對西藏文化存續構成巨大威脅。

政府宣稱這些措施是必要的，為了「民族團結」和「國家穩定」。

藏族和其他少數民族的語言權利，受到中國憲法和國際法的保障，但現行政策卻剝奪這些權利。

女性抗議者：[藏語] 我們喜歡說母語。母語常在我們的內心深處。願我們的母語長存！