Controversial court housing project may be moved out of Doi Suthep

[webfact]

Controversial court housing project may be moved out of Doi Suthep

By The Nation

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan

 

A controversial residential project for court officials in a Chiang Mai forestland is likely to be turned into an area for public use, with the trees felled to pave the way for construction replanted, deputy premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Thursday.
 

General Prawit said any further steps would follow the results of next Monday’s meeting of relevant state agencies regarding the matter.

 

There has been a dispute over the construction of summer residences for senior judges and court officials at the foot of the northern city’s Doi Suthep mountain. Local environmentalists are unhappy that the ongoing construction has allegedly appropriated Doi Suthep forestland, as the construction site is close to the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

 

The project, built at a cost of Bt1 billion, includes nine homes for court presidents, 36 homes for chief justices, and 13 apartment buildings for court officials.

 

Prawit said on Thursday that the residential project was likely to be moved elsewhere and the current site turned into an area for public use. “The trees that were felled will be replaced to make it look like before,” he said. “It may be turned into a recreational area for the public.”

 

However, Prawit, who is in charge of the government’s security affairs, also noted that the construction site is not in a national forest. “The land plot is a state property and it has been obtained lawfully,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the relevant state agencies to find a solution that would be satisfactory to all parties involved, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkumnerd said on Thursday. The PM said all parties – the Justice Ministry, construction contractors and local residents – deserve sympathy.

 

“The government wants to make everyone get what they expect in a good way. No problems should be created in society. And there must be no disputes,” the spokesman said, quoting the PM.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342541

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-05

[worgeordie]

Thinking about moving it now, when it's just about finished,

so another Billion THB of taxpayers money gone to waste,

 

Justice Ministry, construction contractors and local residents – deserve sympathy.!

 

regards worgeordie

[Tilacme]

Bulldoze the houses and give the  land back to nature where it belongs. Make a conservation project out of the area with a visitors centre.

[sweatalot]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

Thinking about moving it now, when it's just about finished,

so another Billion THB of taxpayers money gone to waste,

 

Justice Ministry, construction contractors and local residents – deserve sympathy.!

 

regards worgeordie

Yes move it - if possible to an ugly place.

Wrongdoers should not be respected. But the will of the public should.

Even if it was not against the law (I doubt it) they should have known what they were doing.

A picture of the destoyed nature in the area shows it all,

Edited April 5, 2018 by sweatalot

[rebo]

Attention, folks! His lips were moving.
You know what it means ...

[BigBadGeordie]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“The government wants to make everyone get what they expect in a good way. No problems should be created in society. And there must be no disputes,” the spokesman said, quoting the PM.

 

[webfact]

Doi Suthep rivals dig in heels

By THE NATION

 

 

Prawit hints housing project may be moved out but court officials in no mood to give in.

 

THE Office of the Judiciary yesterday did not show any intention to back away from the controversial housing project in Doi Suthep despite Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday suggesting the houses may be relocated.

 

The office secretary-general Sarawut Benjakul said his agency would deal with the matter under the existing law. 

 

Earlier, Prawit had said the Bt1-billion temporary summer residences for court officials on Chiang Mai forestland is likely to be turned into an area for public use, and trees felled for the construction will be replanted.

 

 

General Prawit said further steps would follow after a meeting of relevant state agencies next Monday. 

 

However, both sides in the dispute remained firm on their positions and did not show signs of budging yesterday.

 

“I can’t order the buildings to be dismantled. It’s beyond my authority,” Sarawut said. “They are not my personal property; they belong to the state,” he told a press conference.

 

The dispute involves the construction of summer residences for senior judges and court officials at the foot of the northern city’s Doi Suthep mountain. Local environmentalists are unhappy that the ongoing construction has allegedly appropriated Doi Suthep forestland, as the construction site is close to the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. 

 

 

The project, built at a cost of Bt1 billion, includes nine homes for court presidents, 36 homes for chief justices, and 13 apartment buildings for court officials.

 

The Network to Reclaim Doi Suthep Forest, which is campaigning against the Office of the Judiciary’s project, yesterday demanded that the buildings must be demolished. “We won’t accept any other suggestions, including one about turning the project into a learning centre,” Teerasak Rupsuwan, coordinator of the group, said.

 

“The network will not back off from this fight,” he said, adding that his group was planning to take the case to the Administrative Court and was also collecting signatures for a petition to the Palace.

 

Prawit said yesterday that the project was likely to be moved elsewhere and the current site turned into an area for public use. 

 

“The trees that were felled will be replaced to make it look like before,” he said. “It may be turned into a recreational area for the public.” 

 

Prawit, who is in charge of the government’s security affairs, also noted that the construction site is not in a national forest. “The land plot is a state property and it has been obtained lawfully,” he said. 

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevant state agencies to find a solution that would be satisfactory to all parties, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkumnerd said yesterday. The PM said all parties – the Justice Ministry, construction contractors and local residents – deserve sympathy. 

 

“The government wants to make everyone get what they expect in a good way. No problems should be created in society. And there must be no disputes,” the spokesman said, quoting the PM.

 

Sarawut said the project area does not encroach on any national forest and the agency had received permission from the Treasury Department and other relevant agencies for use of the land.

 

The Office of the Judiciary welcomes all constructive suggestions that could help solve the problem, Sarawut said.

 

He said that he would raise the matter at the meeting of the executive board of the Courts of Justice next Monday and would relay its resolution to the prime minister for further consideration.

 

Sarawut said that no large trees were felled for the construction. More than 230 trees with trunks larger than 30 centimetres in diameter were transplanted and moved out before the construction began, he said. He also said that land plots adjacent to the project were used by some other state agencies, and a local sports stadium is located nearby.

 

Earlier yesterday, three members of the group cancelled a symbolic march they began on Wednesday from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, citing fears that the activity would be used by those with “hidden agendas”.

 

Krit Yiammetha, Direk Chantharadilok and Saruth Srithaworn planned to walk to the capital to present a petition to the prime minister, asking him to use Article 44 of the interim charter to halt construction of the project. Krit said many people with ill intentions had tried to infiltrate or get involved in the march to use it for instigating or fuelling disunity, which was not what he and the other volunteers intended. 

 

“We undertook a peaceful march out of a sincere intention to ask the premier’s help – not for other purposes,” Krit said, noting there had been no collection of donations associated with the march,” he said. 

 

Meanwhile, four Chiang Mai residents painted a graffiti mural onto a wall in the northern city’s Muang district as a symbolic gesture of protest against the project. The mural shows tears of blood streaming down an eye, while a shadow inside the iris shows forestland being carved out in the controversial estate’s shape. Accompanied by the Thai wording meaning

“Reclaiming Doi Suthep Forest”, the graffiti was on Wednesday painted onto the wall of a consenting private property owner near Chiang Mai College of Dramatic Arts and has been shared widely on Thai social media.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342565

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-06

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The PM said all parties – the Justice Ministry, construction contractors and local residents – deserve sympathy. 

 

“The government wants to make everyone get what they expect in a good way. No problems should be created in society. And there must be no disputes,” the spokesman said, quoting the PM.

what crap; this is their version of problem-solving ? radically incompetent

[nikmar]

sounds like a job for Nong Kiew Koi.

 

[klauskunkel]

Do judges in other countries also get summer residences from their governments?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

Do judges in other countries also get summer residences from their governments?

 

Well said, three times. 

 

This approach is anti-social and a totally inappropriate way to spend taxpayers money.

 

When does building start, in a nice location, summer residences for street sweepers?

 

 

[irwinfc]

this isn't the only one though. i've been to a village for army personnel near the 700 highway. they are nothing short of luxurious. probably within the THB8-10M range by chiangmai standards. is this how this government plans to return happiness to the thai people!? what a load of bull! looks like happiness was meant to be returned to only a handful.

[nikmar]

11 minutes ago, irwinfc said:

this isn't the only one though. i've been to a village for army personnel near the 700 highway. they are nothing short of luxurious. probably within the THB8-10M range by chiangmai standards. is this how this government plans to return happiness to the thai people!? what a load of bull! looks like happiness was meant to be returned to only a handful.

In a nutshell. Hardly reconciling, is it?

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

“I can’t order the buildings to be dismantled. It’s beyond my authority,” Sarawut said. “They are not my personal property; they belong to the state,”

According to the 2017 Constitution the State belongs to the Thai People - not the military and certainly not the court officials. If Office of the Judiciary secretary-general Sarawut can't comprehend the constitution, he doesn't belong in the OJ.

The Minister of the Interior is responsible for land management of the State and should oversee the restoration of the Doi housing project to forest use. As Minister (ret.) General Anupong Paochind was appointed by Prayut, he should have no problem having the cooperation of the Office of the Judiciary and the NCPO.

[midas]

On 4/6/2018 at 8:13 AM, klauskunkel said:

Do judges in other countries also get summer residences from their governments?

 

Imagine what it looks like to have one of these officials ruling on a case that involves land and environment issues for the general public and then they get in their cars and drive to their " summer residence "

it doesn't look good at all.   Amazing Thailand