15 Arrested After Pasighat Dam Protest Violence

Police in Arunachal Pradesh say they have arrested 15 people over the violence in Pasighat and filed six cases. More arrests may follow as officers investigate who took part in the attacks and who may have encouraged young protesters, police chief Hibu Tamang said Sunday. The arrests are the first clear count of legal action after fires, stone-throwing and damage to public buildings overnight. ⁷

The six cases involve violence, arson and attacks on police and central force staff, Tamang said. More than 40 officers and other security staff were hurt, including a deputy superintendent of police. The trouble followed a 12-hour shutdown against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which was mostly peaceful in the three districts where it was called. After it ended Friday, violence broke out in Pasighat and continued into Saturday morning. A crowd set fire to an NHPC office and a police station and damaged the homes of political leaders. ^7,6

The attacks led the Centre to send about 250 Rapid Action Force personnel to Pasighat from Navi Mumbai. CRPF riot-control teams were expected to arrive by Sunday, joining forces already in the state. But the arrests and extra security address only the immediate unrest. The proposed 11,200-megawatt dam is still in the early study stage. Local Adi and Galo communities fear it could take homes and land and disrupt their ties to the river. The government says the project would produce power and help manage water risks linked to China’s planned dam upstream. ^5,13

Those fears now sit alongside a police inquiry and a call for talks. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said people can protest peacefully but must not damage property, and has urged opponents to talk with the government. Police say their investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected; authorities must also maintain order as debate over the dam and its possible effects continues. ^6,7