Sluice gates will be opened, PM
promises
Yuwadee Tunyasiri
Bangkok
Post, May 26, 2000
Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday promised that all sluice gates at
Pak Moon dam would be opened in a few days.
He asked local villagers opposed to the trial gate
opening to carefully consider the cabinet resolution.
Most of the opponents, from 50 families, made a living
from raising fish.
The prime minister promised them he would help them with
any problems that might result from the four-month trial. Some villagers
wanted the dam gates opened to revive the Moon river's ecological system,
which deteriorated after the dam was built.
"I have asked the Electricity Generating Authority
of Thailand, the Ubol Ratchathani governor and MPs to make a concerted
effort to solve the problems," he said.
The opening of the gates was part of the recommendations
made earlier by a committee charged with solving problems caused by the
Pak Moon dam. The panel was headed by social activist Banthorn On-dam and
set up by the Chuan Leekpai administration.
