Post reporters, Bangkok Post, Dec 10, 2002 

All sides in the Pak Moon dam dispute will get another chance to air their grievances, at a forum called by the prime minister.

Thaksin Shinawatra wants an ``integrated'' approach to bring about a permanent solution to the dam dispute.

Three parties _ Pak Moon researchers, representatives of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and villagers affected by the construction of Pak Moon dam _ would be consulted.

A forum would be held where researchers could divulge their findings on environmental impacts, and Egat could also give its views.

Villagers say the dam robbed them of a livelihood. Closing the dam's sluice gates destroyed fish- spawning grounds.

Mr Thaksin said Egat must be allowed to air its side of the story. He would take information presented at the forum and survey villages around the dam.

Next week, he would invite 30 Pak Moon villagers to meet him personally. They would be ordinary people affected by the dam, not core protesters.

``The government's policy is to listen directly to people without having to go through proxies,'' he said.

Pak Moon villagers returned to their protest site outside Government House yesterday to renew their demand for the dam gates to open permanently.

Protest leaders said they held little hope the dam dispute would end in their favour.

Scholar Banthorn On-dam said Mr Thaksin's approach was no different from that of his predecessors.

``I expect nothing from his words. I don't think he will pay serious attention,'' said Mr Banthorn, who chaired a committee on Pak Moon under the Chuan Leekpai government. His findings on Pak Moon had now been ignored by both governments, he said.

Many believed the prime minister just wanted to ``look good'' by turning up unannounced at the protesters' campsite on Sunday.

Suriyasai Takasila, of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said Pak Moon would be the last straw for villagers if they did not get their way.

``If the prime minister fails to solve Pak Moon properly, his relationship with the poor will not last long,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin was trying to undermine NGO legitimacy by dividing them from villagers.

``Probably he thinks the villagers would be easy to handle without NGOs around. But that's a mistake.''

Earlier, cabinet decided the best concession it could offer was to open the gates just four months a year, despite one government-sponsored study before it supporting an all-year free-flowing dam.

Mr Thaksin said the study suggested the gates be kept open but the panel in charge of settling the Pak Moon dispute chose the four-month option. Mr Thaksin asked for more time to read the study himself and listen to all sides.