All seven planned dams are located in politically highly unstable regions. Now that a peace process finally has taken off and conflicting parties have reopened conversations, the hydropower projects pose a huge risk for Myanmar's first steps towards stability. Local resistance is widespread and has led to violent conflicts in multiple cases. Several dams require residents to be resettled, while these regions are also originally home to hundreds of thousands of peole that fled during the civil war. If these dams are being constructed, there is no option for them to return.

The plans for the seven-dam-project have been developed in relative secrecy. Affected communities have not been consulted nor informed about the projects' dimensions or implications. At the Kunlong dam site, there have been reports of property being expropriated without any compensation for local residents.

Under the military regime, Myanmar's human rights situation has been regarded as one of the worst on the planet. The democratic reform process of recent years has eased conflicts in some parts of the country, while others have intensified. Although the democratically elected National League for Democracy-government is hoped to restore basic human rights, there is concern to what extent they will be capable. Ethnic minorities are often the victim of systemic discrimination and human rights violations, as reported by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in June 2016.

Myanmar is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia. Indigenous peoples, usually refered to by the Myanmar government as 'ethnic nationalities', inhabit much of the areas affected by the planned dams. Especially Shan State is home to many ethnic minorities. An estimated 350,000 people are internally displaced in eastern Myanmar. Years of ethnic violence have compelled many to fled their homes. Dam projects in these conflict zones cannot be started before everyone has had the opportunity to safely return to their homes.

Myanmar has not ratified ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous Peoples.

The Salween River was until recently one of the last free-flowing big rivers in Southeast Asia. The river has an abundant fish population and unique biodiversity sites. Several affected communities have reported the granting of logging concessions causing large-scale deforestation around the Ywathit and Mong Ton dams.

Several dams will have considerable reservoirs that will require the inundation of precious farmland and rainforest.