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DAM-L LS: Cabinet agrees to open gates but fails on other points (fwd)



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Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:56:55 -0700 (PDT)
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subject: LS: Cabinet agrees to open gates but fails on other points
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The Thai Cabinet yesderday agreed to open the gates of Pak Mun dam until 
August, but failed to adopt all 16 recommendations of the committee 
established to consider the demands of the Assembly of the Poor. For this 
reason, the AOP has described it as "too little too late. 99 villagers will 
be starting a hunger strike at 2pm Wednesday local time.

The Nation, Wednesday July 26, 2000

'Too little, too late' from govt

                      THE Cabinet's decision to open the gates of
                      the Pak Mool and Rasi Salai dams yesterday
                      failed to win applause from protesting villagers,
                      who described the action as "too little too late".

                      There seems to be no end in sight to the
                      conflict between the 3,000 protesters and the
                      government. About 100 men and women
                      yesterday vowed to begin a hunger strike this
                      afternoon to express their dissatisfaction with
                      the government for not adopting all 16
                      recommendations of a neutral committee
                      established to consider their demands.

                      The Cabinet agreed to demands that the Pak
                      Mool Dam's gates be opened for four months a
                      year and that the Rasi Salai Dam's gates be
                      opened indefinitely. But it refused to pay
                      compensation to more than 2,000 families
                      affected by the nearby Sirindhorn Dam, which
                      was completed in 1972.

                      "We cannot pay again those who have already
                      received compensation," government
                      spokesman Akapol Sorasuchart said.

                      The government also refused to review the
                      Cabinet's June 1998 resolution that has been
                      used as a guideline in implementing forestry
                      boundaries. The villagers said they could not
                      accept the guideline, which they claim was
                      drawn to evict them from the forest.

                      Conflicts over dams and forest land top the list
                      of grievances that the Assembly of the Poor
                      has demanded that the government address.
                      Two months ago Deputy Prime Minister Banyat
                      Banthadthan appointed a neutral committee,
                      chaired by respected academic Banthon
                      Ondam, to investigate the problems.

                      The committee suggested the government
                      immediately address 16 urgent cases.
                      Prominent among them was the damage the
                      Pak Mool Dam has caused to the livelihoods of
                      fishermen in the region. However, the
                      government declined to take action on many of
                      the recommendations yesterday.

                      As a result, protesters from the regions near the
                      Pak Mool and Rasi Salai dams in the Northeast
                      said they would not return home even though
                      the Cabinet had met their demand that the
                      dams' gates be opened.

                      "We come as a team," said Pranee Nonechan,
                      42, from Ubon Rachathani's Ban Pak Bung,
                      next to the Pak Mool Dam. "We will remain
                      here and stand by our fellow villagers whose
                      problems have not yet been addressed."

                      Pranee said her husband, Thongcharoen, was
                      among those who had volunteered to conduct a
                      hunger strike to pressure the government to
                      address the remaining problems.

                      Two weeks ago police arrested 225 protesters
                      for illegally entering the Government House
                      compound and used batons and teargas on
                      many. The protesters were released on bail.

                      The protesters demanded that they be
                      unconditionally released. Thongcharoen
                      Sihatham, a village leader from Pak Mool,
                      yesterday insisted that the government confirm
                      that those arrested would not face any legal
                      consequences of their action.

                      BY SOMROUTAI R SAPSOMBOON,

                      PENNAPA HONGTHONG, and

                      SUBHATRA BHUMIPRABHAS

                      The Nation

                      LAST MODIFIED: Tuesday, 25-Jul-2000 14:06:21
                      EDT








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