International groups call on Thai PM Chuan to open Pak Mun dam gates

Protestors in Washington DC to fast and hold vigil outside Thai Embassy

Several protestors in Washington DC will start fasting today in solidarity with villagers affected by the World Bank-funded Pak Mun dam who are calling on the Thai government to permanently open the gates of the dam, which has destroyed their fisheries. Protestors in Washington DC will hold a vigil outside the Thai Embassy at 5.00pm today, to bring their concerns to the attention of the Thai Ambassador and the people of Washington DC.

Seventy-four organizations from 21 countries have written to Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai today urging him to open the gates of the dam to restore the fisheries of the Mun River. The organizations, representing human rights, environment, development and church-based groups, expressed their support for the thousands of villagers who have been protesting in Bangkok and at the Pak Mun dam site to recover their lost livelihoods, and expressed their outrage about the use of batons, shields and tear gas against protestors on July 16-17.

Villagers affected by the dam have been protesting for the last 16 months to pressure the Thai government and the World Bank to permanently open the Pak Mun dam’s gates to restore the fisheries of the river. In the last two weeks, thousands of villagers protesting outside of Government House in Bangkok were met with violence from the police, including tear gas and batons. Almost 50 people were injured, 10 of whom were admitted into the hospital, and 225 villagers were arrested and charged with trespassing and illegal assembly.

Chuan’s Cabinet will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the problems raised by the Assembly of the Poor, which include the Pak Mun dam and fifteen other issues relating to dams, national forests and the Chong Mek border redevelopment project. However, Interior Minister Banyat has repeatedly stated that he will not agree to open the gates of the Pak Mun dam, despite a recommendation from his own committee that the gates should be opened for at least four months during the wet season.

Dan Beeton, one of the protestors who will be fasting in Washington DC, said, "We are holding this vigil, and a small group of us are fasting, in solidarity with the villagers in Thailand who are now threatening a hunger strike if the Cabinet does not agree to their demands. We want to bring their message home to Thai Government officials by fasting right outside the Thai embassy. The government should immediately open the gates of the Pak Mun dam."

The Pak Mun dam was completed in 1994 with $24 million in financing from the World Bank. From the outset the project was highly controversial due to the predicted impacts on the rich fisheries of the Mun River. A recent study by the World Commission on Dams shows that the project has had a severe impact on the fisheries of the Mun River, and that economically the project is not performing well.