Scuffle with protesters mars PM’s visit to South

By The Nation

 

Police, soldiers and volunteers disperse a protest by opponents to the Thepha coal-fired power plant as they march towards Songkhla’s Samila Beach, where the mobile Cabinet meeting is to be held today.

 

Opponents of Thepha coal-fired plant disrupt Prayut’s Songkhla trip

 

A SCUFFLE between security officers and Thepha coal-fired power plant opponents occurred yesterday in downtown Songkhla, reportedly resulting in minor injuries and 10 people being taken to the local police station.

 

The confrontation occurred the day before a mobile Cabinet meeting scheduled for today in Songkhla. The power plant opponents had marched over 80 kilometres from Thepha district in an attempt to meet Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to hand him a formal complaint against the project.

 

The clash occurred at about 4pm as more than 100 protesters, including a network of Songkhla and Pattani residents, neared the Songkhla downtown area, intending to eat lunch near Samrong junction, according to Facebook posts by the group’s leaders, including Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, director of Chana Hospital in the province.

 

As of 6pm, 10 protest leaders had been taken to the Songkhla police station, while the rest had been dispersed. There were reports of minor injuries.

 

Supat said in his posts that the group had wanted to voice the reasons for their opposition to the project. He said they considered that the environmental and public health assessment reports for the proposed project were not sufficiently detailed and public hearings had not properly heard from people with concerns. 

 

The group feared the project, particularly the coal-fired element, would be tabled separately from a project involving a proposed pier for the Cabinet to endorse today, and wished to submit their complaint to the prime minister.

 

Bunjong Nasae, chairman of the Raktalaethai Association, who expressed support for the group, urged Prayut to meet with protesters and hear their arguments as a show of the government’s sincerity. 

 

Mobile Cabinet meetings, he said, should enable the government to listen to people’s concerns and solve their problems, not just an opportunity for business people to approach the Cabinet to ask for support.

 

 

Prayut earlier told people that he was coming to Pattani province to build understanding about the government’s policies, not to vie for votes. 

 

He visited a livestock market in Nong Jik district in the morning, where he told people that he had taken a long trip by road as his aircraft had been disrupted by torrential rains and had been forced to land at an airfield in Songkhla province.

 

 

The premier added that security efforts had improved and a better economy would follow, urging people not to hate the military, as the situation in the South had improved since it stepped in.

 

“I’m here, not to vie for votes, but to create understanding about how we will move the country forward,” he said. “There are a lot of problems, some real, others not. But I insist that we have been working extensively so that you can access the things that are available to people in other regions.” 

 

The premier said there would be a major investment in a number of infrastructure projects in the region.

 

At the end of the speech, the premier had a tense encounter with one fisherman. Because of the noisy atmosphere, there was apparently a minor misunderstanding that prompted Prayut to shout at the man.

 

When security officers moved in to remove the fisherman, the premier said: “Please be cool, everyone involved is trying to solve the problems and they all cannot be solved at once.”

 

 

The premier was also scheduled to have discussions about security and meet local leaders as well as hold a late evening meeting in Songkhla to address social and economic development in the South.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30332651

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-28

 

Hmm...

 

Looks like four campaign photos and one photo of the scuffle.

 

That couldn't be right, could it?

 

Hmm...

 

Not all going to script at the moment! 

Pointing at some chickens. Amazing.

Baby goats head soup.

And there was me thinking the south was always the safe bastion of Democrat and yellow-shirted cronyism.

 

I guess a similar Isaan fly-in, fly-out, chicken-checking photo-op is still not on the itinerary.

 

NB. I see he's already mastered Trump's signature 'OK' hand gesturing.

 

Winning!

Some mistake here.  This is Thailand not North Korea, right?

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

Did he forget "the power plant" ?

So the shouting at the fisherman was all a misunderstanding because it was noisy

Who's he kidding? He gets my goat!

Man of many hand signs, I have one for him, its Winston Churchill's Victory salute, but the other way round.

Thai police arrest 16 protesting against coal-fired power plant

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai authorities have arrested 16 people who were protesting against the construction of a coal-fired power plant, drawing criticism of the military government from rights activists and environmentalists.

 

The planned power plant in the southern province of Songkhla will consist of two 1,000-megawatt units, and is part of a power development plan to 2036, but activists object to its expected environmental and health impact on communities in the area.

 

The 16 protesters were arrested on Monday as they travelled from Thepa district, the site of the plant, to the provincial capital to present a petition to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who was due in the city on Tuesday for a meeting.

 

"This incident shows the true face of Thailand's military dictators, who have committed a long list of abuses and repressions since the May 2014 coup," Sunai Phasuk, Thailand researcher for U.S.-based group Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.

 

Six protesters were injured in a scuffle with police, said anti-coal activist Supat Hasuwannakit.

 

"The use of force was uncalled for," Supat told Reuters.

 

A few police officers were injured, police said, adding that the 16 had been charged with blocking traffic, assaulting authorities, and resisting arrest. Police have requested that a court detains them.

 

Tara Buakamsri, country director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said in a statement the action against the protesters reflected a "complete failure" by the government to promote a peaceful and inclusive society.

 

"The Thepa power plant has no legitimacy to be built," the group said.

 

The first unit of the power plant is due to begin operating in 2021.

 

Its environmental health impact assessment was completed in August and is pending approval by the National Environment Board.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-28

I thought he was popular and happiness at a high 90. 

He always looks happiest when he's around animals. They don't ask questions. 

The PM found a Kid that liked him, or maybe just liked being bottle fed.

  Glad to see that he is brave enough to go to the south. My family is scared

to visit there  right now with all the troubles.

Geezer

21 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Pointing at some chickens. Amazing.

Probably ignoring his order to stay still.

5 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

The PM found a Kid that liked him, or maybe just liked being bottle fed.

  Glad to see that he is brave enough to go to the south. My family is scared

to visit there  right now with all the troubles.

Geezer

I will be scared too but if you surrounded by platoons of soldiers and police and the roads leading to Pattani been swept for bombs and all trouble makers probably monitored or warned; it really don't need bravery to be there. Didn't make many trips for last 3+ years. Prawit, probably the 1st time. That seem cowardly.