PAK
MOON DAM
Villagers
put their hope in senators : Banyat baulks over call to open
gates
Anchalee
Kongrut, Temsak Trisophon and Yuwadee Tunyasiri , Bangkok Post July 13,
2000
Protesting
villagers from Pak Moon dam have turned to senators-elect to pressure the
administration to honour recommendations by a government-appointed
committee to open all the dam's gates.
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Pak Moon dam
opponents run into police roadblocks on their way to parliament to
demand the government honour the remommendations of a panel
appointed to seek solution to their problems. - Sarot
Meksophawannakul |
About
700 villagers arrived in Bangkok by train from Ubon Ratchathani yesterday
morning, equipped to settle down at Government House for a prolonged
protest.
They
began their first day by marching to parliament where they submitted a
petition to the senators-elect, in the belief they are more concerned
about their plight than coalition politicians.
Gen
Harn Leelanond, senator-elect from Pattani, accepted the petition and
promised he would encourage his colleagues to look into the matter.
Nirand
Pitakwatchara, senator-elect from Ubon Ratchathani, said senators later
agreed that the government should act on the panel's recommendation to
open the sluice gates.
The
panel, appointed by Interior Minister Banyat Bantadtan on the prime
minister's authority, submitted its recommendations last week.
The
interior minister has made no public statement on the report, but was
quoted as telling the panel he would order another committee be set up to
oversee the opening of the gates.
But
Mr Banyat said on Monday he has no power to order the gates opened.
"If
Mr Banyat does not have the power to order the gates opened, he should
quit," said Wanida Tantiwittayapitak, adviser of the Assembly of the
Poor. "Why was it possible for Arthit Ourairat to order the opening
of Rasi Salai dam sluice gates?"The science minister last week
announced that all seven sluice gates of Rasi Salai dam would be opened
for two years to allow surveying to determine compensation, also
environmental damage and salinity.
At
Government House, police have threatened prompt action if the protesters
attempt to repeat their earlier success. About 200 protesters last month
scaled the fence and broke into the compound in a predawn raid.
More
than 300 police have been assigned to guard the entrances and the number
of anti-riot squads has been increased. Double gates have been installed
and grilles to deter climbing. Pol Gen Pornsak Durongkaviboon, the police
chief, said if the farmers tried to repeat their previous feat, they would
face stern action.
Police
would exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary use of force, but would
keep the situation from getting out of hand.
Plain-clothes
police were mingling with protesters to keep track of their movements, it
was reported.
The
Students Federation of Thailand, which joined the protest, slammed the
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for resisting the panel's
resolution to open the dam gates.
Sarayut
Jailak, the SFT secretary-general, said the villagers would intensify
their protest, but remain peaceful, if their demand continued to be
ignored. Their trip to Bangkok this time was not to negotiate with the
government but to pressure it to do as it promised. "It's not about
talking. We're way past that stage," Mr Sarayut said.
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