Activist plans hunger strike over Doi Suthep project

[snoop1130]

Activist plans hunger strike over Doi Suthep project

By The Nation

 

 

An environmentalist will go on a hunger strike over the construction of court officials’ residences at the foot of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep mountain.

 

Nikom Putta, who heads the Mae Ping River Conservation Group, said on Wednesday that court officials should not use houses and condo buildings that were built on the controversial site. 

 

“Let these buildings stand as monuments to the mistakes,” he said. 

 

He said he would stage a hunger strike and pray so as to encourage all sides to talk, admit that mistakes have occurred, and embrace a peaceful solution. 

 

Nikom spoke up after Chamnan Rawiwanpong, who previously headed the Court of Appeals Region 5 and now heads the Supreme Court’s Bankruptcy Division, suggested amid the stand-off that court officials should be allowed to use these structures for 10 years. 

 

Built at a budget of nearly Bt1 billion, the residences for court officials are now going up at the foot of Doi Suthep mountain. Environmentalists believe 45 houses and nine condo buildings – whose constructions are almost completed – have encroached on forestland.

 

The construction site, authorities have insisted, sits not in the forest zone but just next to the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. 

 

Nikom said while the courts might say the constructions were legal, they were not being fair. 

 

“How can the court clear forestland for its officials’ residences while people are prosecuted for encroachment?” he said. 

 

He said one should not accept what was maybe legal but unethical. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30343942

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-25

[johng]

"How can the court clear forestland for its officials’ residences while people are prosecuted for encroachment?” he said. "

Good point but maybe hunger strike not the best protest..maybe the only protest option left ?

[Samuel Smith]

Why has this development only now become an issue?  Mountain bikers have known for a long time about this construction site, cutting off trails at the bottom of Doi Suthep...

[webfact]

Activist goes on hunger strike to protest Doi Suthep construction

By The Nation

 

Mae Ping River Conservation Group president Nikom Putta explains his decision to stage a hunger strike in front of the Court of Appeals Region 5 headquarters yesterday.

 

Peaceful protests step up as court defiant over housing for judges and staff
 

AN ENVIRONMENTALIST began a hunger strike yesterday over the construction of court officials’ residences at the foot of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep mountain. 

 

Nikom Putta, who heads the Mae Ping River Conservation Group, is conducting his peaceful protest in front of the Court of Appeals Region 5 headquarters. 

 

The Court of Appeals Region 5 owns the project that is seeing the construction of residences for court officials and judges on the mountain next to its headquarters. 

 

While environmentalists say that the headquarters is not in the forest zone, they firmly believe that the 45 houses and nine condo buildings being constructed have encroached on Doi Suthep forestland. 

 

Nikom said yesterday that court officials should not use houses and condo buildings that were built on the controversial site. 

 

“Let these buildings stand only as monuments to the mistakes,” he said. 

 

He said he would continue his hunger strike and keep praying to encourage all sides to talk, admit that mistakes had occurred, and embrace a peaceful solution. 

 

Nikom spoke up after Chamnan Rawiwanpong, who previously headed the Court of Appeals Region 5 and now heads the Supreme Court’s Bankruptcy Division, suggested amid the stand-off that court officials should be allowed to use these structures for 10 years.

 

The residences, which are being built at a cost of nearly Bt1 billion, are almost complete. 

 

The construction site, authorities have insisted, sits not in the forest zone but just next to the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. 

 

Nikom said while the courts might say that the constructions were legal, they were not being fair. 

 

“How can the court clear forest land for its officials’ residences while people are prosecuted for encroachment?” he said. 

 

He said one should not accept what was perhaps legal but unethical. 

 

Nikom is affiliated with the Network to Reclaim Doi Suthep Forest, which pland to stage a march from Chiang Mai’s Tha Pae Gate to the Statues of Three Kings this Sunday.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343964

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-26

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“How can the court clear forest land for its officials’ residences while people are prosecuted for encroachment?” he said. 

 

He said one should not accept what was perhaps legal but unethical. 

he is arguing morality rather than ethics; as the final decision seems to be with our highly moral premier, my bets are not on the general chiang mai public

[tracker1]

Good to see him in a healthy state as if he goes ahead with his hunger strike hopeing to achieve something I fear this could have a drastic effect on his health as most know the outcome of this development !

[colinneil]

Activist going on hunger strike, waste of time mate.

The project is there to stay, you think the so-called elites with take notice of you?

No way jose.

 

[Ruffian Dick]

On 4/25/2018 at 6:35 PM, johng said:

"How can the court clear forestland for its officials’ residences while people are prosecuted for encroachment?” he said. "

Good point but maybe hunger strike not the best protest..maybe the only protest option left ?

I'm not sure what the "best protest" may be; at least this is making the news.