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dam-l LS: Pak Mun protestors released, but may have been duped



According to this article, the Pak Mun protesters were released yesterday, 
but it seems that the Chairman of the Law Association of Thailand stood 
bail for them without consulting their lawyers. In an attempt to save face 
and end the controversy, Interior MInister Banyat called an urgent meeting 
with several ministers yesterday to discuss a solution to the problem. The 
meeting resolved that the problems raised by the Assembly of the Poor, 
including the Pak Mun dam, should be discussed at next Tuesday's Cabinet 
meeting.  However, Banyat said that only some of the demands could be met. 
International pressure is still needed to convince the government to comply 
with the demands of the protesters.


Bailed protesters wonder if they were duped

THE 221 jailed Pak Mool Dam protesters cheered yesterday when they were 
freed from prison, but it was the government that had the last laugh.

The villagers, arrested for invading the grounds of Government House on 
Sunday, left Klong Prem Remand Prison on what they thought was an 
unconditional release arranged for them by their lawyers from the Law 
Society of Thailand.

Only later did they find out that Chamroen Waraporn, chairman of the Law 
Association of Thailand, had stood bail for them without consulting their 
lawyers.

Chamroen is a close friend of Niphon Boonyamanee and Taworn and Winai 
Sennium, Democrat MPs who are in the advisory team of Interior Minister 
Banyat Banthadthan.

"I did not know Chamroen," said Jirasak Saentaweesuk, 40, who was among 
those released yesterday. "I thought he was our lawyer and we would be able 
to go home free of charges."

Nonetheless, Jirasak and the others released from jail appeared happy to be 
able to reunite with relatives and fellow protesters in front of Government 
House.

But equally happy, if not happier, was the government side, which seemed 
desperate to end the "battle" with the villagers. Its use of force on the 
unarmed protesters over the weekend was denounced by academics, human 
rights groups, democracy activists and senators-elect.

The authorities earlier set a bail of Bt30,000 per protester. When the 
villagers showed no interest in being bailed, police told them that they 
could leave only by showing their ID cards.

The protesters refused to leave their cells unless their complaints over 
the loss of fisheries in the Mool River due to the Pak Mool dam were 
addressed. They also demanded an unconditional release to ensure they would 
not face any legal consequences in the future.

Their lawyer, Yaowarak Anuphan from the Law Society of Thailand, denounced 
Chamroen for bailing the protesters without consulting her.

"It is against the code of conduct of professional lawyers," she said. "I 
doubt his intentions for violating the code."

Chamroen denied any conspiracy. He said he merely sympathised with the poor 
villagers.

But Yaowarak pointed out that by being bailed by Chamroen, the villagers 
have no guarantees that no further legal action will be taken against them.

Four teenagers, who were separately released on bail from the Ban Metta 
Juvenile Detention Home by the Children Protection Foundation, alleged that 
they were beaten by the wardens.

In an attempt to save face and end the controversy, Banyat called an urgent 
meeting with several ministers yesterday to discuss a solution to the problem.

The meeting resolved that the problems raised by the Assembly of the Poor, 
including the Pak Mool dam, should be discussed at next Tuesday's Cabinet 
meeting.

Banyat said that only some of the demands could be met.

Alongkorn Polabutr, adviser to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, explained that 
demands like compensation for completed dams and other government projects 
could not be met.

Suriyan Thongnuead of the Assembly of the Poor said the government's 
attempt to further "buy time" by throwing the issue back into the 
bureaucratic system was "unacceptable".

He said the government should seriously consider the recommendations made 
by a non-partisan committee appointed by Banyat last month to find 
solutions to the Pak Mool dam and other problems of the poor.

Meanwhile, Sanphasit Koompraphant, a human rights activist, proposed an 
amendment of the law governing the Electricity Generating Authority of 
Thailand (Egat), which allows the agency to deal solely with social and 
environmental impacts of dams, saying that Egat maximises its profit from 
power generation at the expense of the rural poor.

BY SUBHATRA BHUMIPRABHAS,PENNAPA HONGTHONG

The Nation July 20, 2000