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Public forum cancelled as row over venue continues

7 hunger strikers taken to hospital

 

Prasert Pokhuntod, a hunger striker, is helped by friends to a car headed for hospital. The man had been fasting for 12 days. _ APICHIT JINAKUL
Bangkok Post, Aug 8, 2000

Ampa Santimetanidol, Anchalee Kongrut and Yuwadee Tunyasiri

A public forum on the Pak Moon dam dispute was cancelled last night as the government and protesters continued to fight over where it should take place.

The Assembly of the Poor, which is leading the protest by villagers who claim the dam had destroyed their livelihood, yesterday remained firmly against the government's decision that it be held at the state-run Channel 11 television station.

The forum scheduled for last night for all parties in the dispute to present their views and facts had to be put off, announced Alongkorn Polabutr, the prime minister's secretary, yesterday.

Mr Alongkorn did not give any new date but stressed the forum must be held at Channel 11.

He also said the forum would be joined by Banthorn On-dam, the academic who headed a government-appointed committee tasked with finding solutions to the protesters' problems.

But Mr Banthorn yesterday denied he had agreed to participate.

The academic said he disagreed with the way the government picked the venue without consulting other participants.

However, efforts were continuing to make the forum happen. The assembly had approached several academic institutions, including Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities, in an attempt to find a new venue acceptable to all concerned.

Wanida Tantiwittayaphitak, an assembly adviser, said yesterday the forum was meant to hear and thoroughly discuss all 16 problems raised by the poor concerning dam projects and land encroachment.

She said Channel 11 was unacceptable as the venue because the planned format would impose a severe time limit on each issue that needed to be discussed thoroughly.

"Each participant would be given only one minute to talk about each problem. With such a time limit, facts about each problem could be misunderstood," she said.

Meanwhile, the number of hunger strikers at the anti-Pak Moon dam protest in front of Government House plunged from 472 on Sunday to 295 yesterday.

Many of them were found to be unfit to continue fasting. Seven elderly hunger strikers were rushed to hospital after doctors found they had diabetes.

Prasert Phobkhunthod, 54, from Chaiyaphum, who had been fasting for 12 days, quit yesterday upon doctor's advice

 

Chuan chided for his new-found backers

Anchalee Kongrut, Bangkok Post, Aug 8, 2000

Protesters congratulated Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday on winning the backing of figures who justify force against the people.

Chaiphan Praphasawat, an adviser of the Assembly of the Poor, said Mr Chuan had found soulmates among Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon and FM Thanom Kittikachorn.

Gen Suchinda, blamed for the 1992 Black May violence, offered sympathy to Mr Chuan for using force against the protesters last month. In July FM Thanom, accused of crushing democracy activists in 1973, expressed a similar sentiment.

"Mr Chuan has had the thumbs-down from people like Dr Prawase Wasi and Anand Panyarachun," he said. "But at last he found a league of his own with two personalities embracing him and taking his side."

 
 

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