Map Ta Phut Rally Ends After Protesters Offered To Meet PM Abhisit

[webfact]

MAP TA PHUT DISPUTE

Rally ends after protesters offered to meet PM

By The Nation

A protest outside the Map Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong ended after the demonstrators agreed to take an offer for a direct and possibly televised meeting with the prime minister over the matter wiithin two weeks.

The proterstors, villagers living nearby the estate or those affected by toxic discharge and other environment problems, also agreed not hold their plan to lodge a complaint with the Constitution Court to nullify the 11-business list announced by the government.

After an mediation by Buddhipongse Punakanta, the secretary to the justice minister, the protest ended but the villagers said they would still hold on to their plan to lodge the complaint, possibly on October 5, depending over the results of the meeting, which however has not yet been scheduled.

The rally began yesterday morning when around 500 villagers gathered outside the government centre in Muang province, before they moved to the Map Ta Phut estate. The protest was supported by Greenpeace Thailand which had 10 volunteered chained themselves to the front door blocking the access.

Tension began to rise when workers demanded access in and out to the estate, but the human chain was over after talks between estate officials and protest leaders. Exchange of angry words occurred between Greenpeace volunteers and business operators before they gave up blocking the gate.

The protest received another support from fishermen who led a 200-trawler armada to the Map Ta Phut pier and submitted a five-point demand to officials: one of them is that cargo ships must be docked outside a 6-km peremeter away from the shore.

The villagers repeat their insistence that the restriction should cover 18 businesses they deemed harmful to health and environment, which mean mandatory health impact assessment (HIA) and environment impact assessment (EIA) are required before they can go ahead, after a legal deadlock halting them is lifted.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti said he was not present nor visited the protest site because the entire issue was not his sole responsibility and the prime minister would soon directly deal with it himself.

"Industry Minister Chaiwat Bannawut and the secretary to the PM Korbsak Sabhavasu have been also directly assigned by the prime minister to take care of the issue. It's not only [my] ministry being held responsible for it, but also the National Environment Board, which is chaired by the prime minister," he added.

After the mediation, PM Abhisit Vejjajiva said he was ready to meet with the villagers, but still maintained the government's stance that the issue had nothing to do with 11 or 18 businesses on the list.

"There are many other key issues involving the Map Ta Phut estate issue, including its capability to accommodate industries, not just the matter of whether 11 or 18 businesses being on the list," he added.

He said Korbsak was assigned to oversee most immediate concerns over the issue: preventive measures to alleviate villagers' grievances and compilation of details on the villagers' health issues. "These two issues are way important to ensure capability to accommodate industries," he added.

Abhisit said he may pay a visit to the estate or the villagers may come to him in a meeting the soonest.

Asked whether the estate issue should be overseen by an independent agency on a permanent basis, he said it was agreed on in principle by all parties involved including the four-part committee dealing with the issue, but it would be too late while immediation actions to solve the problem were underway.

-- The Nation 2010-10-02

[asiawatcher]

Common sense would say - table the problem and prove their argument. If there is a case that any business is 'deemed harmful to health and environment' then it should be investigated. If the industrial estate can be proven to be contributing to any health related issues of villagers then businesses should be made to rectify their processes and remove the threat be it health or environmental. It does not necessarily need a fine or lengthy court case, just sensible proof and reassessment of how to fix the problem and within a specified time limit. I cannot see why the PM would need to 'visit' the area. If the Govt needs the top man to do PR and resolve it, the appropriate agencies should be downsized or dissolved and stop wasting time and public monies.

[h90]

Common sense would say - table the problem and prove their argument. If there is a case that any business is 'deemed harmful to health and environment' then it should be investigated. If the industrial estate can be proven to be contributing to any health related issues of villagers then businesses should be made to rectify their processes and remove the threat be it health or environmental. It does not necessarily need a fine or lengthy court case, just sensible proof and reassessment of how to fix the problem and within a specified time limit. I cannot see why the PM would need to 'visit' the area. If the Govt needs the top man to do PR and resolve it, the appropriate agencies should be downsized or dissolved and stop wasting time and public monies.

I think all investigations are not necessary anymore after the companies paid their tea money to whoever reduced 7 from the 18 harmful industries....

[uncletom]

Protesting is illegal in Thailand.

So many double standards but consensus has it here that things need to be first proven and then can be acknowledged legally later. But if it is acknowledged later, thsi can still be dangerous business for one or many to take on.

uncletom