Salween River
The Salween (Thanlwin) River is one of the major waterways of Myanmar (Burma). Entering northeastern Myanmar from China's Yunnan Province, it flows southward through the mountain valleys of Shan, Kayah, and Karen (Kayin) States before reaching the Gulf of Martaban in Mon State. Although it is locally navigable, it is too hazardous in many areas, with deep ravines and plunging rapids, to allow navigation for any extended length. The only exception is the lower reaches in Karen and Mon States, where timber and other goods are transported.
In these lowland areas, the state capitals of Moulmein (Mawlamyine) and Paan (Hpa-an) are located along its banks, but there are few other settlements of any size along the rest of its 1,600-kilometer course. There are bridges across the Salween near Paan as well as at Takaw and Kunlong in Shan State. Other bridges were planned during the 1990s, but most crossings of the river are only by local ferries.
There have also been plans in recent decades for hydroelectric dams at various locations along the river, but many of these areas have been affected by insurgencies. In the late 1990s, there were reports of detailed discussions, involving various international interests, about building a dam in southern Shan State, but this project continued to be criticized by opposition groups.
Further Reading
Tinker, Hugh. (1967) The Union of Burma: A Study of the First Years of Independence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Woodman, Dorothy. (1962) The Making of Burma. London: Cresset Press.
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