Political Structure and Dam Conflicts: Comparing Cases in Southeast Asia

This paper argues that different political structures use different conflict management
mechanisms to manage opposition to large hydro projects. Conflicts over the Pak Mun Dam,
Thailand (a liberal democracy), and the Bakun Dam, Malaysia (a semi-authoritarian state),
are the cases selected for comparison. The export oriented, fast industrialization process
brought rapid development in these two countries. Large-scale water development projects,
particularly big dams, have been constructed to meet an increasing demand for energy.
However, these hydroelectric projects have been the source of conflict between the policy
maker and the public. Though the countries face similar conflict situations, the regime’s
conflict management responses significantly differ from each other.
The paper finds that the political design of the liberal democratic country allows better public
participation in the management of ‘dam’ conflicts. In contrast, the authoritarian regime reacts
with a more oppressive approach to prevent escalation of the opposition against dam
building. A non-democratic regime is thus more effective in the implementation of policy
decisions to build big dams through its suppressive methods. Suppressive action may force
reconciliation of the conflict at the surface level, but it neither addresses the root of the
problem nor helps to secure benefits for the majority.