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60 years of World Bank
:
Pak Mun Villagers are delivering a petition to WB at the office in
Bangkok, Thailand |
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The largest tributary
of the Mekong, the Mun River and its tributaries flows through  Northeastern
Thailand with a length of 3,200 kilometer. Livelihoods of the 10 million
population living in the river basin depend on the richness of riverine
ecosystems and natural resources. It is recorded that there were 256 species
of fish in the Mun River.
Over the last 4 decades,
development projects driven by the World Bank, Japanese and the US governments,
along with other international financial institutions such as the Japan
Bank of International Corporation (JBIC), have destroyed the river drastically
due to the 13 large dams and Kong-Chi-Mun Water Diversion Project.
Suffering for decades,
a movement of affected people in the river basin was created to voice
their concern against such development and to highlight their struggles.
They have not only been fighting against dams, but have also been demanding
the decommissioning of dams to restore the river and livelihoods, and
for social reparations for affected communities, especially for Lam Takong
communities and lower Mun communities in Pak Mun, Rasi Salai and Hua Na.
Their struggle is not only for people affected in the project sites, but
also those that play an important role as an example for people affected
or would be affected in other parts of the country and throughout mainland
Southeast Asia.
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