Mae Par Village explained: "If the dam is built, our village, the whole area, including our paddy farms and our gardens will be flooded. I, myself, will have no place to live." An open letter written by Karen Rivers Watch in 2011 stated that the dam would only exacerbate problems associated with the displacement of war-torn communities, with very little benefit actually being received by the local community, as the majority of the power generated by the dam would be exported. Paul Sein Twa, director of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) pointed out that, "Local people do not want any dams on the Salween River, especially in Karen State, without the free, prior and informed consent of impacted communities." Along those lines, the aforementioned KRW open letter expressed that there had been "little consultation with affected communities" and that the majority of the local populations opposed the dam. The higher military presence in the area associated with the construction and maintenance of the Hatgyi Dam has also been a source of concern and criticism. Naw Paw Gay, of the KRW, explained that, "the presence of the Burmese troops will lead to more human rights abuses." Saw Kyaw Phoe, meanwhile, while commenting on the negative implications of increased troops in the area to protect the dam, related that the Myanmar army would, "force villagers to carry their food ration and ammunition and to lead Burmese troops through land mined areas." Disruption of peace negotiations International Rivers claims that the dam project has been obstructing peace negotiations between the Karen National Union and the Myanmar Army. Likewise, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army's tactical operations commander Colonel Saw Maung Kyar explained that, "problems will get worse if [the government] starts increasing the military forces by using the dam as an excuse." Meanwhile, the joint secretary of the Karen National Union, P'Doh Saw That Thi Bwe, argued that, "the Hatgyi hydropower project is located in our land. Our stand is not to allow such kind of big project until we have a guarantee for discussing politics." Environmental impact Environmental researcher Steve Thompson of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) commented on the Hatgyi Dam by explaining that the dam could, "wipe out many or most riverine fish species, with serious socio-economic consequences for local villagers". An open letter by the Karen Rivers Watch in 2011 described the Hatgyi Dam