Dam project in Burma halted in rare victory for activists

Burma's president has suspended construction of a Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam, in a move welcomed by opponents in the pro-democracy movement.

Thein Sein said that the £2.3 billion Myitsone dam project in Kachin state should be terminated because "it is against the will of the people".

Activists have said the dam - construction of which has already begun - would displace thousands of villagers and upset the ecology of the Irrawaddy river.

Pro-democrary leader Aung San Suu Kyi recently joined the anti-dam campaign. "All governments should listen to the voices of the people," she said.

The dam would export about 90 per cent of the power it generates to China while most of Burma's residents have no electricity.