Songkhla MP meets Indonesian consul to demand immediate action on haze

[rooster59]

Songkhla MP meets Indonesian consul to demand immediate action on haze

By Somchai Samart,
Santiparp Ramasut
The Nation

 

 

Sattra Sripan, Palang Pracharat Party MP for Songkhla, met with the Indonesian consul general Fachry Sulaiman on Friday (September 20) to hand in a petition calling on the neighbouring country to tackle and prevent haze from forest fires, which has this week shrouded Songkhla and southern border provinces.

 

 

Sattra and a team of officials met Sulaiman at 2pm to inform him of the impact the haze is having on people living in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district.

 

“People have to wear face masks and refrain from outdoor activities, while some have already developed respiratory problems,” he told Sulaiman.

 

The consul responded by saying that Indonesia was doing everything it can to prevent forest fires and even arrest those behind them, because the Indonesian public was also suffering from the haze. He also noted that in most cases, the forest fires were caused naturally from combustion and underground thermal heat.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, people from Muang and Hat Yai districts also showed up at the consulate carrying placards to demand that Indonesia take immediate steps to solve this haze problem, which they say has been happening from August to October every year for the past decade. The districts have been covered in haze for three days this week, affecting visibility and people’s health.

 

Hat Yai reported PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – levels on Friday at 67 micrograms per cubic metre of air. The Thai safe level is 50mcg, which is already double the World Health Organisation’s recommended level of 25mcg.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376507

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[legend49]

Somewhat a hypocrite; cant even control burning for decades in Thailand now you want to tell other countries what to do?

[spidermike007]

A few interesting aspects of this. First of all it appears that alot of the burning in Indonesia, is not accidental, but rather intentional, same as what is happening in the Amazon. Clearing way for palm oil plantations, just as the non visionaries in Brazil are clearing the way for cattle or soy. Bad leadership, leaders armed with little more than ignorance, and hubris, combined with an extraordinary level of greed, and the willingness to decimate the earth in pursuit of that. So, the only way this is going to be stopped, is if Indonesia institutes a complete moratorium on palm oil farms. The earth does not need any more of these, and the oil is ridiculously toxic to consume anyway. 

 

The second aspect of this, is that Thailand cannot even control it's own air quality issues. The nation experienced the worst pollution in decades, this past year. And what has been done about it? They are blaming vehicles. And diesel engines are not helping. Thailand is one of the few nations on earth, that is still actively promoting the sale of diesel vehicles. Second, what is being done to regulate the burning of sugar cane, which is the chief culprit? Nothing whatsoever. Are they looking into alternative harvesting methods? No. Are they encouraging sugar cane farmers to find alternative crops? No. What are they doing? Nothing at all. Thailand remains one of the least progressive nations on earth, when it comes to the environment. And they are lecturing Indonesia? Where is the moral authority?

 

It is probably going to take kids like Greta, marching on parliament, and humiliating the leaders, before something begins to happen here. Usually in Thailand, the only time we see real progress on an issue, is AFTER the nation has been severely embarrassed internationally. Nothing comes from within naturally. Nothing happens because it is good for the people, or the right thing to do.

 

Chances are, the politicians are owned by the sugar industry lobbies. The damage inflicted on the environment by cane burning must stop. 

[sammieuk1]

More paper for the fire suggest sending a general to order it gone he will be back in the north in January to receive a reciprocal visit no doubt????

[Odysseus123]

...and the answer was?

 

"You fix your haze and we'll fix ours."

[Bentley333]

ironic