eng homeabout usmekong riversalween rivermun riverthai baan researchpublication
 

Academic network to outline the facts

Lecturers keen to avert public unrest

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, Bangkok Post, Aug 7, 2000

Concerned that mounting tension over the Pak Moon dam could lead to social unrest, academics from various institutions throughout the country yesterday talked of forming a network to release factual information to the public.

Surichai Wankaeo, head of social development studies at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of political science, said the network would maintain neutrality.

"We are here not to oust any government, but we want whoever is in power to realise that there are problems with the administration of public resources in the country and these problems need to be addressed," Mr Surichai said.

The academic spoke after a meeting of 40 lecturers from Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Mahidol universities in Bangkok, and other academic institutions in Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Songkhla and Pattani.

Mr Surichai said the Pak Moon villagers' demonstration outside Government House should not be misinterpreted as a dispute between the Assembly of the Poor and the government, but rather a result of mismanagement of natural resources.

Plans are being made to hold public forums in various parts of the country to create better public understanding of the problems.

Mr Surichai said it was necessary for academics to speak out because no sense of urgency has been detected from the government.

"There is fear that the rift between the government and the demonstrators might heat up and lead to social unrest if the issue is left unsettled," he said.

Mr Surichai said political and permanent administrators should show more social responsibility towards the public and the country's resources.

Krittaya Achavanichkul of Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research, said if the network of academics was strong enough, it could help loosen the nation from the grip of development-induced woes.

Instead of listening only to NGOs or protesters, she said the network would aim at seriously studying each incident in order to be able to obtain accurate information.

Banthon On-dam, a former lecturer at Thammasat University who chaired the neutral committee looking into the Pak Moon dam problems, said the government should be more open and accept the long-term recommendations of his committee, which looks into the need to improve the quality of social and environmental impact assessment studies.

 
 

สมาคมแม่น้ำเพื่อชีวิต   138/1 หมู่ 4 ต.สุเทพ อ.เมือง จ.เชียงใหม่   50200
Living River Siam Association  138 Moo 4, Suthep, Muang, Chiang Mai, 50200   Thailand
Tel. & Fax.: (66)-       E-mail : admin@livingriversiam.org

ข้อมูลในเวปนี้สามารถนำไปเผยแพร่ได้โดยอ้างอิงแหล่งที่มา