Outgoing Thai PM found guilty of neglect of duty over PM2.5 pollution

[snoop1130]

 

The Chiang Mai Administrative Court ruled against the prime minister and the National Environmental Board today (Monday), for neglecting their duty to deal with the annual dense smog in Chiang Mai.

 

Both defendants were found to have ignored their duties as stipulated in the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535 (1992).

 

The Court also ruled that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ignored his duties or delayed performing his duties in preventing PM2.5 air pollution in Chiang Mai, as stipulated in the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act, B.E 2550 (2007).

 

#news

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/outgoing-thai-pm-found-guilty-of-neglect-of-duty-over-pm2-5-pollution/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-10

 

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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

About time... long overdue.

 

Unfortunately, I don't see anything in the OP news report that mentions any actual sanctions or penalties against the guilty parties, not even any fine for the dereliction of their duties.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[bob smith]

incompetent as they come.

 

cant wait till this clown is gone.

[dinsdale]

Chiang Mai Administrative Court. Thaksin country. This is pretty meanigless. How about guilty of disappearing people. Guilty of corruption.

Edited July 10, 2023 by dinsdale

[ThailandRyan]

He has created a get out of jail free and immunity clause.  He's like the gingerbread man....can't catch me.....

[hughrection]

Pointless waste of time and resources But as someone said, it may be the beginning.

 

Is the worm turning?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Odd... and typically poor Thai news reporting....

 

Nowhere in the OP article does it mention what party or parties brought the air pollution legal case against the various government figures....

 

The court didn't just make the finding on its own. Some party had to file the allegations against Prayut and the others to raise the issues in court...

 

Unfortunately, we're not going to find out from Thai PBS just who finally did that public service as the guy and his cronies are (presumably) headed out the door.

 

[HuskerDo2]

Nothing will come of it. Not even a slap on the hand. These guys, just like their predecessors, don't have enough common sense, let alone intelligence, to implement the many options at their disposal to address the nasty choking air there. Just there to collect a paycheck I guess. Maybe they should tie their paychecks directly to the % the air quality improves every year. I'm sure that will motivate them to do their jobs. No improvement in air quality = no paycheck.

[MikeandDow]

Its a Start more to come, hope MF can rescind his get out of jail card, the loss of face will be killing him.

Edited July 10, 2023 by MikeandDow

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Courtesy of The Nation, the plaintiffs in the above case were a group of local CM residents:

 

SATURDAY, April 22, 2023

 

The Chiang Mai Administrative Court has accepted a petition filed by a group of local residents against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the National Environment Board over the increase in PM2.5 dust pollution in the northern provinces.

...

The court on Friday accepted the case against PM Prayut and the National Environment Board while rejecting the case against the two other agencies.

 

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs demanded that the prime minister exercise his power under Article 9 of the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act to help ease the PM2.5 problem."

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40026874

 

Chiang Mai Residents Sue Thai PM for Worsening Air Pollution

April 12, 2023

 

"On Tuesday, 1,700 people in Chiang Mai filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and two state agencies for failing to use their authority to tackle the toxic haze problem in the province.

 

About 60 people visited the Administrative Court in Chiang Mai to file a lawsuit against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the National Environment Board, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Between 7-9 April, 727 people signed their names in support of the lawsuit at Chiang Mai University, while 980 people signed it online."

 

https://laotiantimes.com/2023/04/12/chiang-mai-residents-sue-thai-pm-for-worsening-air-pollution/

Edited July 10, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MikeandDow]

I am pissing myself laughing at Prayut the BIG loss of face

[BenStark]

Let the games begin

[sammieuk1]

But he ordered it gone how could that go wrong said one poet who didn't know it ????

[Pib]

When it comes to pollution control/reduction in Thailand the current "and" previous governments have been pretty much all talk with little to no action. 

 

The bulk of air pollution in Thailand comes from the annual burning of fields/forest.   Usually this period is when raining season ends around Oct/Nov and up to about March.  Year after year this is when air pollution in Thailand gets bad at most locations especially in northern Thailand. 

 

Each year the govt puts out news releases that HiSo govt bureaucrat (like the PM) has ordered lower ranking bureaucrats to fix the problem....stop the burning....arrest/fine those burning fields...etc.  And the govt also tries to deflect the attention on fields/forest burnings by saying Thailand needs to reduce pollution caused by vehicles...tries to make a lot of people think the bulk of the pollution during the Oct-Feb period is really caused by vehicles which use combustion engines vs the fields/forest burnings. 

 

Yea...former and current governments have pretty much just been giving lip service to air pollution control/reduction.

[worgeordie]

But he did buy leaf blowers from China , and a water sprayer for the centre of Chiang Mai ,,,,,,????

Does  this mean next year we are going to see real action taken to prevent forest fires ,can only

hope , but not holding my breath (pun intended) 

 

regards wrgeordie

 

 

[K2938]

13 minutes ago, Pib said:

Yea...former and current governments have pretty much just been giving lip service to air pollution control/reduction.

Is there any realistic chance that the new Move Forward/Pheu Thai et al. government, if it comes, will do anything differently?

[Denim]

Meaningless clucking.

 

I doubt that any government can deal with this terrible situation without the full co operation of neighboring countries.

Easier said than done given the current situation. 

 

More rhetoric and huffing and blowing will achieve nothing.  Problem is that if effective draconian measures were implemented there would be an immediate responsefrom human rights groups.

 

Miscreants don't give a fig for words. There will always be a handful of selfish individuals who will torch forests and disappear. Very hard to police such a large area without a huge investment in manpower. A potential ranger behind every tree would be expensive. And what should be the appropriate sentence to anyone starting a fire ?

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Think they should be careful  - ha can get in his tanks, have another coup and forgive himself !

[Pib]

35 minutes ago, K2938 said:

Is there any realistic chance that the new Move Forward/Pheu Thai et al. government, if it comes, will do anything differently?

Couldn't say....all I can say is past and current governments have done little to truely attack the big causes of pollution.  

[Keep Right]

Local red shirt supporters making accusations against a former PM while continuing to burn trash, fields and local forests. Progressive Pita or anyone else will not be able to do anything about the pollution coming from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post (about England and China)

[2baht]

If nothing else, this deserves an inactive post! 

[Andycoops]

He neglected the whole country for 10 years the clueless Muppet, hiding in his free army bunker.

[swm59nj]

1000 baht fine.  Case closed 

[smedly]

is that all

 

should be in lail..............check his finances along wiith Prawit and Auntin

 

oh that's right - they don

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

He has created a get out of jail free and immunity clause.  He's like the gingerbread man....can't catch me.....

He said he'd end corruption too....

[findlay13]

9 hours ago, hughrection said:

Pointless waste of time and resources But as someone said, it may be the beginning.

 

Is the worm turning?

I doubt it .I've seen it many times over 20 plus years.As the Who sang ''Here comes the new boss,same as the old boss'' Musical Chairs, and  IF things look like changing too much the Tanks come out

[NORDO]

Career Generals don't have duties, they delegate them to staff.  

[spidermike007]

He is guilty of this, and so much more. If only the people knew the extent of his guilt. One can hope a case will be brought before the Hague, and he will end up in exile. 

 

They shut down the economy due to covid. But, burning cane is ok. Can't they see the effect it is having on the air? Do they care one iota? Don't the leaders live here too? Why are they MIA? Why don't the "do nothing guys" do something for a change?

When the crop burning starts to kill the population, and lowers the quality of life for those of us who don't die, isn't it time to take action? We just don't need the sugar. Shut down this toxic, heinous industry. Lock up the farmers. Sieze their land. Do whatever it takes.

 

The problem is not only the politicians, but also the people, a large part of the population, which does not care:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city

 

Great article. At least they state the truth. It is field burning and predatory agricultural practices, more than wildfires, that is to blame. And the army won't touch the giant growers. Perhaps a more creative and far more drastic approach would work?

[Artisi]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Think they should be careful  - ha can get in his tanks, have another coup and forgive himself !

No he can't, he is now completely outranked by the new level of incompetent buffoons.