Report biased, says Egat
Report 'did not take views into account'
Anchalee Kongrut, Bangkok Post, September 21, 2000
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has rejected outright an
international report which concludes the Pak Moon dam is not economically
justifiable.
The report was prepared by the World Commission on Dams, a group
established by the World Bank and the World Conservation Union.
"This report is unacceptable and simply biased," Egat assistant
governor Subhin Panyamag said yesterday.
"We insist that we have fulfilled all legal requirements. We did the
right thing, and it has benefitted society."
Mr Subhin accused the researchers of being biased against the national
power authority. The commission used "different parameters" in
researching and judging the merits of Pak Moon dam.
The report, released this week, said the dam, at the confluence of the
Moon and Mekong rivers in Ubon Ratchathani, was a flop in all respects.
It failed to live up to its promises regarding power generation,
irrigation and fisheries development. It had destroyed the Moon river's
ecosystem and affected villagers' livelihoods.
M.L. Chanaphun Kridakorn, Egat deputy governor who represented the
authority in hearings arranged by commission, said the report failed to take
information supplied by Egat into account. The information was instead
included in the report's appendix, he said.
M.L. Chanaphun said he had not seen the final report, but if its contents
were as reported the power authority would seek ways to express its
objection. James Workman, the commission's spokesman, said the report had
been peer-reviewed. Egat, among others, had been invited to comment.
"We incorporated those comments which we felt were matters of fact
and accuracy that could be independently and objectively verified, rather
than tone, language, opinion or emphasis which are more subjective to where
you stand.
"It is the nature of an independent report that not all are happy
with the outcome, from either side. But we stand firmly with confidence
behind this final report."
Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University and
a member of the commission's research team, said Egat should face up to
reality. He said Egat executives were themselves biased. Study team members came
from respectable backgrounds. |
