[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
DAM-L LS: 10,000 protest Chuan admin./ Pak Mool and Rasi Salai dams/AOP
----- Forwarded message from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net -----
From owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net Mon Jul 31 15:13:20 2000
Return-Path: <owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net>
Received: from DaVinci.NetVista.net (mjdomo@mail.netvista.net [206.170.46.10])
by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id PAA17902
for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Mon, 31 Jul 2000 15:13:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net
Received: [(from mjdomo@localhost)
by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) id e6VIvbw13405
for irn-mekong-list; Mon, 31 Jul 2000 11:57:37 -0700 (PDT)
(envelope-from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net)]
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 11:57:37 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <200007311857.e6VIvbw13405@DaVinci.NetVista.net>
subject: LS: Mass protest unites 10,000 against Chuan administration
Sender: owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net
Precedence: bulk
Mass protest unites 10,000 against Chuan administration
ABOUT 10,000 protesters and sympathisers converged on Sanam Luang last
night in the largest anti-government demonstration faced by the
three-year-old Chuan administration so far.
Thousands of demonstrators with different grievances, ranging from
anti-government activists seeking an immediate dissolution of the House to
laid-off industrial workers, gathered at Sanam Luang in a show of support
for Assembly of the Poor protesters yesterday.
Though the protesters and their black-clad sympathisers were pushing for
different agendas, they were united in their displeasure with the Chuan
administration.
They accused the government of having forfeited any legitimate claim to
stay in power through its disregard of the plight of the underprivileged.
Among newcomers to the protest were workers from various state enterprises
who said they had come to show solidarity with Assembly of the Poor
protesters.
A statement read towards the end of the protest described Chuan as a
"tyrant". A parody of the violent dispersal of trespassing Pak Mool
villagers from Government House two weeks ago was also enacted by children,
to the amusement of the demonstrators.
"This protest is a spontaneous one, not an organised one," said Somsak
Kosaisuk, president of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) labour union.
"People are getting fed up with the government's mishandling of public
issues."
Somsak said he expected workers from other state enterprises to take part
in the anti-government protest. Many state-enterprise workers are opposed
to the government's privatisation plans. Other protest leaders included Dr
Sant Hatthirat, social critic Sulak Sivaraksa, democracy activist Phiphob
Thongchai and senior NGO leader Dej Phumkhacha.
Some 2,000 Assembly of the Poor protesters have vowed to continue their
months-long protest to pressure the Chuan government to fully comply with
their demands. They have insisted the government redress the environmental
impacts of dam construction and called for a lasting solution to numerous
land-rights disputes with the Forestry Ministry and other government agencies.
Forty people began a hunger strike on Thursday in a bid to pressure the
government to meet all their demands. Ten hunger strikers had already quit
yesterday, while another 20 villagers had joined the fast.
Paijit Silarak, a leader of the Assembly of the Poor, said 169
non-governmental organisations and political-action groups had expressed
support for the protesters.
"We are protesting [at Sanam Luang] to expose the government's attempt to
deceive the public into believing that our problems were solved by the
latest Cabinet resolution," Paijit said.
On Tuesday the Cabinet agreed to some of the recommendations made by a
neutral committee to address the protesters' grievances, including the key
demand that the gates of the Pak Mool and Rasi Salai dams be opened as part
of efforts to revive river life.
But the concessions made by the government were deemed inadequate by the
protesters.
Paijit said Assembly of the Poor protesters were prepared for a lengthy
protest. "Even if this government dissolved the House of Representatives
and called an early election, we would still insist the new government
comply with our demands."
Another speaker, Phinand Chotirotseranee of Kanchanaburi Conservation
Group, advised the government to listen to the people before embarking on
any large-scale projects. She said the Petroleum Authority of Thailand had
built the Yadana Burma-Thailand Gas Pipeline against the will of the local
people and it was now running at a loss because the electric power plant in
Ratchaburi province could not be built according to schedule. She claimed
the government wanted to inveigle electricity-consumers into absorbing a
major chunk of the Bt2 billion overheads incurred by the project's
mismanagement.
"I want to know if the government wants to have the public absorb any other
losses [accruing from the Malaysia-Thai Gas Pipeline Project]." Phinand said.
Meanwhile Nudaeng Ternkhuntod, a hunger striker who collapsed from
exhaustion on Friday, was released from Vajira Hospital, where she had been
given medical treatment overnight. She was given medication to treat a
severe stomach ache, intravenous feeding and soft food, according to
hospital officials.
Nudaeng said she intended to resume her hunger strike once she regained her
strength.
According to nurses, four other hunger strikers are showing signs of ailing
health, including low blood pressure and unusually rapid heartbeats. They
were told to quit the hunger strike to prevent their conditions worsening
but decided to continue fasting for another day.
Hundreds of workers laid off by Thai Durable Textile (Thai Krieng),
demanding government intervention for their reinstatement, also joined the
Sanam Luang protest.
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said yesterday he was not worried by the
ongoing protest and insisted his government had consistently respected
protesters' rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression as
guaranteed by the Constitution. Six hundred law-enforcers have been
deployed to keep order, and many special-branch police were seen mingling
with the demonstrators.
"This kind of protest has been held many times before. My only request is
for protesters to refrain from causing damage to public property," the
prime minister said.
Chuan urged hunger strikers to quit, saying such action would not sway the
government's position on how to deal with issues raised by the Assembly of
the Poor.
Former Senate speaker Meechai Ruchuphan called on protesters to exercise
self-restraint and continue to give the government the benefit of the doubt
in its handling of issues raised by protesters.
He expressed concern about the volatile state of politics at present: "The
current political situation is very confusing. No one seems to know what
others are thinking or what they want," Meechai said. "Most people don't
even know what the government has or hasn't done. People should stay calm
and refrain from all forms of violence."
Another protest has been organised for today, starting at 4pm. Union leader
Somsak said he could not tell whether it would be feasible to prolong the
protest beyond the weekend.
BY SUBHATRA BHUMIPRABHAS
The Nation July 30, 2000
***********************************
Southeast Asia Rivers Network (SEARIN)
78 Moo 10
Suthep Rd,
Tambol Suthep,
Muang
Chiang Mai 50200
Thailand
Tel 66-53-278334, 66-53-280-712
Fax 66-53-283609
Email: searin@chmai.loxinfo.co.th
Web site www.searin.atfreeweb.com
----- End of forwarded message from owner-irn-mekong@netvista.net -----