Protesters rally in Chiang Mai against controversial Doi Suthep project

[webfact]

Protesters rally in Chiang Mai against controversial Doi Suthep project

By The Nation

 

FILE photo

 

THE ARMY’S CHIEF, General Chalermchai Sittisart looks set to have his say in the case of the controversial construction of a court building and residences for court officials at the foot of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep Mountain.

 

The military, after all, has already stepped in to serve as the mediator for the talks between the Court of Appeals Region 5 and opponents of the controversial buildings. 

 

The mediation is scheduled to take place at a military base in Chiang Mai province today.

 

“We will listen to both sides directly, not via media or social media. We will gather their information and submit it to General Chalermchai, who now doubles as the secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO),” Third Army Area’s commander Lt-General Vijak Siribansop said yesterday. Chalermchai has, in fact, already recently responded to the controversy. But he has not yet issued a firm stand.

 

Initially, he ordered that the building – which is ongoing – be suspended. 

 

Then, he allowed the resumption of construction, suggesting that they were legal and had progressed too far to be scrapped. 

 

However, opponents of the project have refused to buy that argument. 

 

Hundreds of people joined a morning rally against the construction yesterday. 

 

Among the participants were some 300 cyclists riding alongside protestors in other vehicles. Their route took the rally from Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre to the construction site.

 

The participants flew green ribbons to show their stance in favour of protecting forestland. They included activists who have long had differing political ideologies but have now come together for the common cause of protecting the mountain’s environment. 

 

Some cyclists stopped at the building site to tie saffron robes at the under-construction homes for court officials. 

 

Others participants travelled further to areas with a dense concentrations of trees, where they performed sacred rituals to consecrate Chiang Mai’s forests. Critics have claimed the construction encroaches on forestland, while authorities have maintained that |none of the buildings are located on land belonging to the nearby Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342760

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-09

[smedly]

some Thais really love to protest

 

are any of these people actually working, have any of them ever worked

 

 

oh lets go protest since we have nothing better to do

[Cadbury]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

The participants flew green ribbons to show their stance in favour of protecting forestland.

Yesterday's headline story was that so called "forest experts" and officials are trying to redefine what a "forest" really is. Predictably they will come up with some new definition of "forest" that will allow the court buildings and the elite housing project for the judiciary to go ahead within the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. 

The protesters are to be applauded for their action in defending National Parks. National Parks are for the people; not for  upper class residential housing.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342696

 

[simoh1490]

The protesters are correct in this instance, the project has encroached on forestry land and is an unwarranted vanity project for the elite - if the judiciary is not going to abide by the law, there's no hope on any front.

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Initially, he ordered that the building – which is ongoing – be suspended. 

 

Then, he allowed the resumption of construction,

another highly competent thai official; no wonder the place is dysfunctional

[cmsally]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

some Thais really love to protest

 

are any of these people actually working, have any of them ever worked

 

 

oh lets go protest since we have nothing better to do

In the case of Chiang Mai , a lot of the time the people who protest are retired. The reason being they don't have too much to lose. It takes guts to stand up to the authorities and these are the people who see themselves with least to lose. They are effectively representing others who simply aren't in a position to put their livelihood on the line.

[wwest5829]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

some Thais really love to protest

 

are any of these people actually working, have any of them ever worked

 

 

oh lets go protest since we have nothing better to do

LOL. This would fit in well with some of my countrymen who state or stated the same every time there is a protest against the powers that be. I am thinking that if people do not like what is taking place in government, they should take to the streets. It is the masses acting in union that will be responded to by those in power.

[sweatalot]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

some Thais really love to protest

 

are any of these people actually working, have any of them ever worked

 

 

oh lets go protest since we have nothing better to do

I am happy there is protest against that project

 

There is a good reason to protest.

 

Do you want people to be silent against any injustice the "elite" is comitting against them?

[Katipo]

3 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

The protesters are correct in this instance, the project has encroached on forestry land and is an unwarranted vanity project for the elite - if the judiciary is not going to abide by the law, there's no hope on any front.

Agreed. And just look at the massive swathe of deforested land that is now exposed to the elements. First decent rainfall and half of that is coming down on whoever is nestled below.

[fantom]

Dont these judges and officials have their own homes to go to? Are they all homeless? If not why do they have to build all these new houses for 1 billion bhat of taxpayers money in this previously beautiful area.

 

Next time I see a judge on the street begging with a placard saying 'Homeless Thai gentleman seeks home - please give generously.'  I might just reconsider my opinion.

[sammieuk1]

Money on the table then under the table looks suspiciously likely.

[BarnicaleBob]

Although I don't agree with this building project, I see one point not to stop it.  The forest has already been destroyed and to stop the project and just leave everything sit there will be a huge eyesore as well as an unpleasant erosion problem which could further damage the surrounding forest area.  To avoid that from happening, the buildings would have to be dismantled and the underground sewage, drains and roads would have to be removed.  This would be a very huge expense for the government and taxpayers to cover. 

 

[cmsally]

That's what they are hoping and is repeated again and again in Thailand. Start the thing, rush the construction before anyone can get their act together and notice and then argue its too late to stop.If that is allowed to happen then look forward to the whole of the country being covered by concrete in the near future.

The thing is , the system is fairly efficient for the average Joe Bloggs who tries this ( he can look forward to his new home being demolished quite soon). However there seems to be a problem in applying the rules equally and fairly.

[fantom]

35 minutes ago, BarnicaleBob said:

Although I don't agree with this building project, I see one point not to stop it.  The forest has already been destroyed and to stop the project and just leave everything sit there will be a huge eyesore as well as an unpleasant erosion problem which could further damage the surrounding forest area.  To avoid that from happening, the buildings would have to be dismantled and the underground sewage, drains and roads would have to be removed.  This would be a very huge expense for the government and taxpayers to cover. 

 

A great post sir.  I agree that stopping this project will incur huge costs in order to rehabilitate the area, but I am not sure the taxpayer should be held responsible. The army, the judiciary and the Chiang Mai planning bureaucracy are among those who created the problem.

[cmsally]

I wonder if it was taxpayers money that funded it in the first place

(If it was)I am not sure that luxury mansions are really what taxpayers money should go on in the first place. If it wasn't taxpayers money then the same funding group should pay for the demolition.

[Rimmer]

A grammar troll/ personal attack has been removed

[Ron19]

Troll post removed.

[cmsally]

20 hours ago, fantom said:

A great post sir.  I agree that stopping this project will incur huge costs in order to rehabilitate the area, but I am not sure the taxpayer should be held responsible. The army, the judiciary and the Chiang Mai planning bureaucracy are among those who created the problem.

I reckon there would be quite a few people who would be willing to volunteer their time to aid in the demolition and reforestation work ! Of course that would be a massive loss of face for some.

[Hardie]

On 4/8/2018 at 3:29 PM, smedly said:

some Thais really love to protest

 

are any of these people actually working, have any of them ever worked

 

 

oh lets go protest since we have nothing better to do

Thanks for really getting to the heart of the matter. Your insightful comments are very helpful...

[smedly]

4 minutes ago, Hardie said:

Thanks for really getting to the heart of the matter. Your insightful comments are very helpful...

you are welcome

 

and just to help you along - do a search on google about Protesting in Thailand, they really love a good protest and sometimes they bring guns and shoot people, not to mention setting places on fire

 

I am all for a peaceful protest about a just cause like corruption but unfortunately it rarely happens 

[simoh1490]

7 minutes ago, smedly said:

you are welcome

 

and just to help you along - do a search on google about Protesting in Thailand, they really love a good protest and sometimes they bring guns and shoot people, not to mention setting places on fire

 

I am all for a peaceful protest about a just cause like corruption but unfortunately it rarely happens 

You seem to not understand the significance of the events surrounding this issue, the judiciary has cleared forest land on one of the most famous locations in Thailand, for their own personal housing. Given the crackdown on encroachment thus far and the fact that the judiciary must adjudicate such matters, there would appear to be a massive conflict of interest that is certainly worthy of public protests if not large-scale demonstrations. 

[smedly]

51 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

You seem to not understand the significance of the events surrounding this issue, the judiciary has cleared forest land on one of the most famous locations in Thailand, for their own personal housing. Given the crackdown on encroachment thus far and the fact that the judiciary must adjudicate such matters, there would appear to be a massive conflict of interest that is certainly worthy of public protests if not large-scale demonstrations. 

well it is all clear now, many thanks 

 

 

[Puwa]

On 4/13/2018 at 7:49 PM, smedly said:

you are welcome

 

and just to help you along - do a search on google about Protesting in Thailand, they really love a good protest and sometimes they bring guns and shoot people, not to mention setting places on fire

 

I am all for a peaceful protest about a just cause like corruption but unfortunately it rarely happens 

Peaceful protests over environmental problems take place all the time. You don't hear about them because they are peaceful.