Thai Law Society To Fight For Widow Of Murdered Activist Thongnark

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SLAYING OF ACTIVIST

Law society to fight for widow

By THE NATION

To seek damages from suspects

The Law Society has offered free legal help to the widow of activist Thongnark Sawekjinda - who was murdered after campaigning against coal transports in Samut Sakhon, spokesman Sombat Wongkamhaeng said yesterday.

Jomkhwan Sawekjinda met Law Society officials recently and was offered free service to help her seek compensation for Thongnark's death.

Society lawyers will also help with a bid for future damages sought for villagers affected by toxic coal dust, as well as enforcement of an injunction by the Central Administrative Court, which has halted coal transports in the province.

Sombat said Jomkhwan did not want to hire local legal firms for fear that they might be "influenced" by coal transport companies and she feared for her life after Thongnark was shot dead by a team of killers last month.

Law Society lawyers are now monitoring criminal action taken against six people allegedly behind Thongnark's murder. They plan to present Jomkhwan as a co-plaintiff in the coming murder trial.

Demands for expenses stemming from Thongnark's death, ranging from funeral costs, to compensation to cover his inability to care for her and their children would be put to suspects or defendants during the murder trial, the spokesman said.

Lawyers plan to lodge a lawsuit next, possibly with the Civil Court, demanding compensation from coal transporters on behalf of local people affected by coal dust and pollution caused by their operations.

A special request would be made during the civil trial to request that expensive court fees be excused, as Jomkhwan could not afford it.

"The enforcement of the injunction should continue and the Law Society will make sure it is valid until preventive and remedial measures are put in place by relevant agencies through the imposition of regulations on coal transporters, before the injunction is lifted," Sombat said.

Meanwhile, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is purchasing land plots in Hua Sai and Tha Sala districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat to expand two sites for planned power plants, a source close to a local anti-Egat group said.

Around 2,000 rai of land had been acquired by the electricity body, currently using nominees as new owners of the land, the source said.

Ownership of the land was likely to be transferred to Egat eventually, once a seven-step procedure that involves several mandatory moves including a public forum had been completed.

The source said Egat "was injecting money" into five local administrative bodies, each of which was "rewarded" with Bt5 million. This was a new tactic employed by Egat to "buy support" from the local people through local bodies so they would be able to develop power plants in the future, in Nakhon Si Thammarat and elsewhere.

-- The Nation 2011-08-09

[OzMick]

"Ownership of the land was likely to be transferred to Egat eventually, once a seven-step procedure that involves several mandatory moves including a public forum had been completed."

The electricity generating authority has to buy land through nominees, and then go through a 7 step procedure - and if that is not a recipe for a scam, I'll eat my hat.