ITANAGAR: Anti-Siang dam activist Katon Moyong, popularly known as Aborman from the Adi tribe, has rejected the Arunachal Pradesh government’s invitation for talks on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), declaring that the time for negotiations has passed after nearly five decades of opposition by the Adi community.
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club in Itanagar on November 5, Moyong, who was recently detained by Delhi Police during protests against the proposed project, reiterated his uncompromising position, stating, “No Siang Dam.”
Addressing chief minister Pema Khandu directly, Moyong questioned why the government’s repeated invitations for dialogue had failed to acknowledge the Adi community’s longstanding opposition to the project.
He claimed that the community had been resisting the proposed dam since 1979, when the first proposal was introduced under the banner of Brahmaputra flood control.
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Moyong also insisted that no discussion on SUMP should take place without the approval of all 60 traditional village councils concerned.
Questioning the government’s justification for the project on national security grounds, he described the argument as a “false narrative”, alleging that successive governments had changed the justification for the proposed dam over the decades.
He cited earlier descriptions of the project as a flood mitigation initiative, a national interest project and a national project, before the present government began invoking national security concerns.
Moyong instead called for diplomatic engagement with China over its proposed 60,000-MW hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, arguing that the responsibility for addressing cross-border water security concerns rested with the country’s political leadership and diplomatic establishment.
He also questioned the deployment of security personnel in the Siang belt amid the continuing opposition to the project, alleging that the presence of armed forces was creating apprehension among local communities.
The activist demanded the release of those detained in connection with the anti-SUMP movement and called for an immediate halt to the ongoing pre-feasibility report (PFR) activities and survey work.
Clarifying his position on hydropower development, Moyong said he was not opposed to development or smaller dam projects on tributaries but maintained that the main Siang river should not be dammed.
He also appealed to the indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh’s 26 tribes to remain united against the proposed project, cautioning against attempts to divide communities over the issue.
His remarks come amid growing opposition to SUMP in the Siang region, with the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) also rejecting the chief minister’s invitation for talks, citing the continued arrests of anti-dam protesters, detention of activists and deployment of security forces.
The Arunachal Pradesh government, however, has maintained that the proposed project remains at the pre-feasibility report stage and has defended the need to examine its feasibility, particularly in view of China’s proposed mega hydropower project upstream on the Yarlung Tsangpo.
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In a related development, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has demanded the release of all protesters detained over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), withdrawal of cases against them and removal of additional security forces from the affected areas. The party, as per The Arunachal Times report, also sought a white paper on the ₹350-crore development package, demanding transparency on fund allocation, beneficiaries and utilisation.
In September 2026, protests against SUMP escalated in Geku, Upper Siang, following the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces for the preliminary feasibility report (PFR) survey. A clash between villagers and security personnel on September 28 led to four arrests. Protesters demanded a halt to survey activities and withdrawal of security forces. The state government maintained that the PFR was intended to assess the project’s technical feasibility before any further decision.
The opposition also comes amid wider resistance to hydropower projects across the state. In October 2025, a 12-hour bandh in Upper Subansiri district called by student organisations demanded the cancellation of the 1,650-MW Subansiri Upper Hydro Project. Separately, villagers in Lower Siang protested NHPC’s Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, alleging violations of compensation agreements and irregularities in land acquisition.
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