Doi Suthep panel to suggest moving of court residences

By NISANART KANGWANWONG 
THE NATION

 

 

A JOINT PANEL of civil society groups and government representatives discussing a controversial construction project on Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep Mountain will be asking the prime minister to find a new location for the court officials’ residences which are nearing completion, according to insiders familiar with the talks.

 

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha will receive a proposal before the end of this month that includes requests that he find a budget to fund construction of new residences at a location other than the foot of the “sacred” mountain adjacent to a national park.

 

 

“We have already concluded what should be done. Our proposal will be forwarded to the Chiang Mai governor and the chief of the 33rd Military Circle, then to the chief of the |Third Army Area, and finally to the prime minister,” Teerasak Rupsuwan, co-ordinator for the Network to Reclaim Doi Suthep Forest, said yesterday. 

He expected the joint panel’s proposal to reach Prayut’s hands by April 29, the time frame set by the Third Army Area’s chief earlier |this month. The panel has representatives from both civil society and government sectors, including Teerasak’s network.

 

The military has stepped in to help mediate the conflict over court officials’ residences after opponents threatened big protests. In the eyes of locals and environmentalists, court officials’ residences are eating into Doi Suthep forest on a mountain that is considered “sacred” in local history. 

 

The Court of Appeals Region 5 has maintained that the construction of the court officials’ residences, which are almost complete under the nearly Bt1billion budget, are legal in every aspect. 

 

 

The Office of Judiciary said earlier this month that it would comply with the government’s decision on the dispute.

 

Prayut has since tried to suggest that opponents to the project consider using the facilities for public purposes once completed. However, opponents of the construction have stood firmly by their original stance – that buildings on the controversial site should be demolished so as to minimise environmental damage. 

 

Joint panel representatives from both civil society and government sectors agree that rehabilitation must be done urgently to restore the environment and ensure proper water flow at the controversial construction site, and that the government should find a new location and new budget for the court officials’ residences.

 

The panel’s government representatives have not agreed with the demand by local organisations that the new buildings be demolished.

 

Teerasak insisted that the controversial land plot be returned to the Treasury Department so that it could be declared a part of the nearby Doi Suthep–Pui National Park. 

 

According to Teerasak, an announcement should also be issued as a social promise that no organisation would ever again try to claim a land plot in the forest buffer zone. 

 

“We hope the prime minister will make the right decision,” Teerasak said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343623

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-21

6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The Court of Appeals Region 5 has maintained that the construction of the court officials’ residences, which are almost complete under the nearly Bt1billion budget, are legal in every aspect. 

Hmm...

 

Funny how the Court ruled that the residences for judges are "legal in every aspect".

 

One might almost think that they had an interest in the project.

 

Oh-Ho! Sometimes I write to most ridiculous things...

 

Silly me!

 

Typical ,they start looking into the legality of things when they are almost

finished,it's like when the find homes,resorts of HiSo's in National parks,

or when they find felled trees in the forest,they never seem to catch loggers

in the act, when they start felling trees.

 

regards worgeordie

Our proposal will be forwarded to the Chiang Mai governor and the chief of the 33rd Military Circle, then to the chief of the |Third Army Area, and finally to the prime minister,”

 

Too many Chiefs and not enough non-Army

Our proposals will be forwarded.

Yes but nothing will happen, just get passed around for a while then shelved.

13 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Funny how the Court ruled that the residences for judges are "legal in every aspect".

Not sure whether you really meant "ruled" in the legal sense as there was no litigation before the court to rule upon. The officials have "maintained," "stated" and alleged that the project is legal in every aspect, but I haven't seen any reference to "ruled."

Which makes such statements all the more divisive because these judges can't judge a matter wherein they would be the defendants. It would probably be the Supreme Court to rule on any litigation over the Doi Suthep project. May be some legal beagle will take the challenge to sue the Court of Appeals Region 5 to halt the project and restore the property to its original state.