Anti-coal protestors start hunger strike, demand end to two projects

[webfact]

Anti-coal protestors start hunger strike, demand end to two projects

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

Photo from: Stopcoalkrabi's Facebook fanpage

 

A hunger strike was started on Monday by two groups of protestors who say they will not eat until the government permanently cancels coal-fired power plants in the South.
 

A total 19 activists from Save Andaman from Coal and the Network of Songkhla-Pattani Residents Against Coal-Fired Power Plants kicked off their hunger strike on Monday in front of the United Nation (UN) headquarters in Bangkok.

 

Photo from: Stopcoalkrabi's Facebook fanpage

 

The are demanding the government put a permanent end to the proposed Krabi and Thepa coal-fired power plant projects Prasitchai Nu-nuan, a prominent member of groups opposing coal-fired power plants, said the protesters had pledged to fight the coal-fired power plant projects by putting their lives on the line. They will sit at the UN headquarters and refuse to consume anything other than water in an act reflecting the highest level of civil disobedience against the government.

 

The group in 2012 began their public opposition to the coal-fired plants.

 

Photo from: Stopcoalkrabi's Facebook fanpage

 

In subsequent years of opposing the projects, the groups “have tried every campaign tactic to urge the government not to build harmful coal-fired power plants in Krabi and Songkhla’s Thepa District, but the government never really listened to us,” said Prasitchai.

 

“So we have no choice but to sacrifice our lives to protect our beloved home.”

 

He said he is sure that others will join their hunger strike and will not stop until the government complies with the groups’ demand.

 

The coal-fired power plant groups also appealed to the international community to pay attention to Thailand’s plan to construct new coal-fired power plants, as burning coal creates environmental impacts on a global scale by intensifying climate change.

 

In July 2015, Prasitchai and another Krabi coal-fired power plant protester, Akradej Chakjinda, had staged a hunger strike in front of the Tourism and Sports Ministry to demand the government stop the Krabi coal-fired power plant.

 

They ended the hunger strike on the 14th day after Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha agreed to form a three-party joint committee to determine the fate of that project. 

 

However, discussions between the Energy Ministry, National Legislative Assembly, academics and local people on the joint committee failed to end the conflict. That led to another big protest against the Krabi coal-fired power plant in Bangkok in October 2016.

 

The conflict has continued as the group tried other approaches to persuade the government to stop plans to produce power through burning coal.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338645

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-12

[rkidlad]

They want clean air and freedom. Cheeky buggers. 

[jaltsc]

"A hunger strike was started on Monday by two groups of protestors who say they will not eat until the government permanently cancels coal-fired power plants in the South."

 

That should be as effective as stopping the burning up north. What not to expect...Clean air, and the price of rice to go down as a result of a surplus resulting from the huge mass of hunger strikers.

Edited February 12, 2018 by jaltsc

[Chris Lawrence]

Just go nuclear. 

[plachon]

The right to free speech, peaceful protest, breathe clean air and the right of children to grow up in a healthy environment. This will test Prayuth's new found commitment to promoting human rights. 

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The are demanding the government put a permanent end to the proposed Krabi and Thepa coal-fired power plant projects 

foolishness; that is not how thailand works (and thinking thais should know this)

each time a new govt comes into power , all significant projects are reviewed (and largely put on hold while that happens); 

ideal opportunities for added corruption

nothing 'permanent'; about the process

[coulson]

2018 is going to be a tough year for Prayut

[webfact]

Anti-coal protesters start new hunger strike demanding end to two projects

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION 

 

 

GOVERNMENT HOUSE PROTEST SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE UNTIL OFFICIALS CAPITULATE AND CANCEL PLANS
 

TWO GROUPS of protesters started a hunger strike yesterday, with activists saying they would not eat until the government permanently cancels coal-fired power plants in the South.

 

 

Thirty-three activists from Save Andaman from Coal and the Network of Songkhla-Pattani Residents Against Coal-Fired Power Plants began the hunger strike in front of the UN headquarters in Bangkok, demanding the government permanently cancel the proposed Krabi and Thepa projects 

 

Prasitchai Nu-nuan, a prominent hunger striker, said protesters had pledged to fight coal-fired power plant projects by putting their lives on the line and would sit at UN headquarters subsisting only on water in an act reflecting the “highest level of civil disobedience”.

 

The group began in 2012 their public opposition to the coal-fired plants.

 

In subsequent years, the groups “have tried every campaign tactic to urge the government not to build harmful coal-fired power plants in Krabi and Songkhla’s Thepa district, but the government never really listened to us”, Prasitchai said. “We have no choice but to sacrifice our lives to protect our beloved home.”

 

 

He said he was sure that others would join the hunger strike and would not stop until the government complied with the groups’ demands.

 

The groups also appealed to the international community to pay attention to Thailand’s plans to construct new coal-fired power plants, as burning coal created environmental impacts on a global scale by intensifying climate change.

 

In July 2015, Prasitchai and another Krabi coal-fired power plant protester, Akradej Chakjinda, staged a hunger strike in front of the Tourism and Sports Ministry to demand the government stop the Krabi coal-fired plant.

 

They ended the hunger strike on the 14th day after Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha agreed to form a three-party joint committee to determine the fate of the project. 

 

However, discussions between the Energy Ministry, National Legislative Assembly, academics and local people on the joint committee failed to end the conflict, leading to another big protest against the Krabi plant in Bangkok in October 2016.

 

 

The conflict has continued as the groups have tried other approaches to persuade the government to stop plans to produce power by burning coal.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338680

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-13

[eliotness]

The government should be pushing solar and wind power, afterall they blame the pollution in BKK on coal-fired power stations !!!

[Stargeezr]

When I was in the Arctic, I never seen a one of the demanding protesters there, breathing the clean air.

I bet the same can be said for the Antarctic as well. Go there if you really want that clean air, no one is

stopping you. You protest the coal, or oil, and why don't you then protest the nuclear, and hydro, and

windmills?  These are not pure and undamaging sources, one kills birds each day, the other kills fish, and the third kills anything with its radiation. Solar is not economical and effective enough for large demand places, like factories, mills, and other industries that use lots of high wattage equipment. So dream on you protesters, in 100 years some of your childrens children may enjoy a cleaner future. Meanwhile, why don't the bunch of you pay a volunteer carbon tax? Just go to Canada and hand the Prime Minister a thousand dollars each, that would be a good start.

Geezer

[marko kok prong]

Hunger strike in Thailand? That would be about 2 hours max then.

[nisakiman]

I'm sure all their compatriots in the south will be eternally grateful to them when either 1) the lights go out, or 2) their electricity bills double.

 

Wind and solar are all very well, but if the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine they tend not to produce electricity. Plus both have a big environmental impact, particularly wind, with its requirements for rare earth minerals for the magnets.

 

http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/baotou-a-toxic-lake-created-because-of-a-thirst-for-technology/article/430511

 

But of course, because 97% of rare earths mined come from far away in China, the environmental damage doesn't impact on their lives, so can be safely ignored.