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.
|