'Too
little, too late' from govt
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One of around 100 Pak Mool Dam protesters who have volunteered to
go on hunger strike receives a medical check-up as part of a
screening process to ensure only those in good health are allowed to
participate. The protest is taking place outside Government House.
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The
Nation, Jul 25
THE
Cabinet's decision to open the gates of the Pak Mool and Rasi Salai dams
yesterday failed to win applause from protesting villagers, who described
the action as "too little too late".
There
seems to be no end in sight to the conflict between the 3,000 protesters
and the government. About 100 men and women yesterday vowed to begin a
hunger strike this afternoon to express their dissatisfaction with the
government for not adopting all 16 recommendations of a neutral committee
established to consider their demands.
The
Cabinet agreed to demands that the Pak Mool Dam's gates be opened for four
months a year and that the Rasi Salai Dam's gates be opened indefinitely.
But it refused to pay compensation to more than 2,000 families affected by
the nearby Sirindhorn Dam, which was completed in 1972.
"We
cannot pay again those who have already received compensation,"
government spokesman Akapol Sorasuchart said.
The
government also refused to review the Cabinet's June 1998 resolution that
has been used as a guideline in implementing forestry boundaries. The
villagers said they could not accept the guideline, which they claim was
drawn to evict them from the forest.
Conflicts
over dams and forest land top the list of grievances that the Assembly of
the Poor has demanded that the government address. Two months ago Deputy
Prime Minister Banyat Banthadthan appointed a neutral committee, chaired
by respected academic Banthon Ondam, to investigate the problems.
The
committee suggested the government immediately address 16 urgent cases.
Prominent among them was the damage the Pak Mool Dam has caused to the
livelihoods of fishermen in the region. However, the government declined
to take action on many of the recommendations yesterday.
As
a result, protesters from the regions near the Pak Mool and Rasi Salai
dams in the Northeast said they would not return home even though the
Cabinet had met their demand that the dams' gates be opened.
"We
come as a team," said Pranee Nonechan, 42, from Ubon Rachathani's Ban
Pak Bung, next to the Pak Mool Dam. "We will remain here and stand by
our fellow villagers whose problems have not yet been addressed."
Pranee
said her husband, Thongcharoen, was among those who had volunteered to
conduct a hunger strike to pressure the government to address the
remaining problems.
Two
weeks ago police arrested 225 protesters for illegally entering the
Government House compound and used batons and teargas on many. The
protesters were released on bail.
The
protesters demanded that they be unconditionally released. Thongcharoen
Sihatham, a village leader from Pak Mool, yesterday insisted that the
government confirm that those arrested would not face any legal
consequences of their action.
BY
SOMROUTAI R SAPSOMBOON,
PENNAPA
HONGTHONG, and
SUBHATRA
BHUMIPRABHAS
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