Locals unite to stop projects in heart of famous rice zone

[webfact]

Locals unite to stop projects in heart of famous rice zone

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION

 

Hundreds of people at a forum in Roi Et province yesterday voice their opinion on the project to build a sugar factory and connected bagasse-fuelled power plant in Tambon None Sawan.

 

LOCAL GROUPS, mostly farmers, are voicing strong opposition to the construction of a sugar factory and connected bagasse-fuelled power plant in the heart of Thung Kula Rong Hai – an area in the Northeast known for its jasmine rice.

 

“We don’t want these plants. We stand firm and will protect our rights to shape our own future and participate in the formation of the state policy,” local groups said in a joint statement yesterday as the project’s owner went ahead with a crucial public forum.

 

 

Backing the statement were the Thung Kula Rice Farmers Group, Organic Rice Farmers of Tambon None Sawan, Cattle Group of Ban Hong Hae, Ban Nam Kham Forest Conservation Group, Silk Worm Growers of Tambon None Sawan, Organic Rice Farmers of Tambon Sa Bua, Pathumrat Conservation Group and three others.

 

Together, they announced that they will reject the results of any public consultation organised to support the project, which is being planned by Banpong Sugar Co Ltd.

 

 “We don’t accept them now and will not accept them in the future,” the groups said. “We will keep fighting to choose the production methods we want and will protect the environment so it supports our way of life.” 

 

The statement was read aloud inside the Pathumrat District Office conference hall, which hosted the public forum for the first phase of the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.

 

“Now that the first phase is complete, I want to emphasise that the process is not in line with what the EIA should be,” said Chainarong Sretthachau, a lecturer at the Mahasarakham University. 

 

He added that forcing locals to accept whatever comes their way will also hurt the country’s democracy. 

 

 

Locals opposing the project complained that they were allowed just three minutes to air their concerns at the forum, while supporters were given a lot longer. The locals also said that people from outside the zone were paid between Bt300 and Bt500 to voice support for the project at the forum. 

 

If the project materialises, it will be the largest industrial operation in the Thung Kula area, covering 1.27-million rai (203,200 hectares) across five provinces, with 986,807 rai located in Roi Et. 

 

Some 160,000 rai of the Thung Kula Rong Hai area is based in Roi Et’s Pathumrat district, and the project’s chosen site is an area in Pathumrat’s Tambon None Sawan. 

 

According to opponents, however, the public forum is mired in irregularities. For instance, they were held beyond the 5-kilometre radius of the planned project site and the participants had been paid off. The opponents also said that the project would threaten their way of life, which follows the “sufficiency economy” philosophy. 

 

They also said that Tambon None Sawan produces a strain of jasmine rice that has won a patent based on geographical indication, and their organic farming practices have paved the way for rice farmers in 22 other provinces to export organic rice. Promoted as the zone for jasmine rice under the Thailand 4.0 strategy, this area is also famous for silk. The groups also pointed out that many farmers raised livestock in open fields. 

 

For two consecutive years, Tambon None Sawan has won awards for outstanding application of the “sufficiency economy philosophy”, which was conceived and promoted by King Rama IX.

 

Locals are worried that large industrial operations in their area will only spoil the environment, threaten their health, hurt their livelihood and adversely affect their way of life. They also fear the area will be overtaken by sugarcane fields and that there will be a widespread use of harmful agrochemicals. 

 

Opposition to sugar factories and related power plants is now building in several parts of the Northeast where nearly 30 such plants are been planned.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369912

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-24

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Snow Leopard]

I am not against progress but the correct environmental protection assessments must be done. Using this bio-fuel is a good idea. I am sure it will cut down on infield burning.  

[Lungstib]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

forcing locals to accept whatever comes their way will also hurt the country’s democracy. 

Like that matters to big business. 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

If the project materialises, it will be the largest industrial operation in the Thung Kula area, covering 1.27-million rai (203,200 hectares)

And we are talking about a massive project, the scope of which is not described in the article. Just what sort of sugar factory needs this sort of area? Something of that size is not an addition to the local economy, its a total transformation. 

  Good to see citizens fighting back against a forced industrialisation of their district. With recent descriptions of air pollution and massive fires in areas producing sugar they should get lots of support.

[SoilSpoil]

China needs a lot of sugar.