Mediator
suggested for dam protest,
The
Nation 23rd, 2000
A GROUP of 15
senators elect yesterday proposed that a Thammasat University professor be
appointed mediator to resolve the conflict relating to the Pak Mool Dam.
Senator elect Sopon
Supapong said social academic Bandit Onkham was the most suitable person to
bring the conflict to a peaceful ending.
"Bandit is a
respected professor who can talk to the local villagers and the
government," he said.
"The conflict
arising from the construction of Pak Mool Dam is a structural problem of
development. The development project was determined by the authorities, and
villagers have risen up to fight its consequences that they have had to
suffer."
Thousands of
villagers continued their sit-in protest near the dam-site, demanding the
opening of eight dam gates to allow fish to spawn upstream in the Mool River, a
tributary of the Mekong.
The protesting
villagers argue that the dam prevents fish from reaching their spawning grounds
and has an adverse impact on the local fishing industry.
The Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), which operates the dam and its
hydro-powered plant, countered that opening the dam gates was impractical and
unnecessary since it had already constructed a fish ladder to allow fish to
circumvent the gates and enter their spawning grounds. Villagers in turn say
this measure has not been successful.
As part of
yesterday's rally the Student Federation of Thailand staged a political play to
highlight the failure of the ladder to help the fish.
An international
study commissioned by 56 non-governmental organisations in 34 countries revealed
that fish stock in the Mool has dropped 60 to 70 per cent since the dam's
construction, student leader Pinkaew Unkaew said.
In a related
development, Egat filed a police compliant charging 14 core protesters on seven
counts of criminal violation.
To counter the Egat's
move, protesters gathered 1,000 signatures to endorse a petition demanding
law-enforcement authorities take action against all of them instead of just
their leaders.
The protesters
apparently fear authorities may try to remove their leaders before using force
to disperse the demonstration.
Ubon Ratchathani
police commander Maj-General Bamrung Sukhapanit warned that the challenge to
police to arrest all protesters might not be a smart legal move.
"Protesters may
not be aware that they have tacitly admitted to wrongdoing by petitioning police
to arrest them on the charges filed by Egat," he said.
Bamrung said the
complaint against protest leaders would be processed in accordance with
established procedure.
Senator elect Sawai
Phramanee said although protesters had the right to air their grievances they
should not stage their sit-in so as to disrupt the operation of the dam.
Sawai also voiced
concern that an ill-intentioned party might try and instigate a violent
confrontation between protesters and authorities.
Meanwhile, officials
at the Rasi Salai Dam in Si Sa Ket province yesterday returned to work after
protesting villagers took over the dam on Friday and Saturday.
About 1,000
protesters remained camping on the dam grounds but left the office buildings,
releasing about 20 officials trapped during the raid.
The officials were
responsible for regulating the dam gates to maintain the water level in the Mool.
Si Sa Ket governor
Kosin Ketthong pleaded with protesting villagers to exercise restraint and avoid
damaging government property.
In a related
development, a leading opponent of the Rasi Salai Dam drowned on Sunday after
falling in his home, which had been partly submerged by the dam's rising waters.
Boonhoam Chaiyong, 60, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Si Sa Ket.
Boonhoam reportedly
slipped after entering his house in Mae Mun Man Yeun Village 11. Boonhoam's
house is in the dam's reservoir and is gradually being submerged.
Yesterday Boonhoam's
family held a cremation ceremony. Members of the Assembly of the Poor at the
Rasi Salai Dam crest have collectively expressed their condolences.
The Nation
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