Thai villagers in legal challenge against Laos dam

Bangkok, Aug 7, 2012 (AFP) - Thai opponents of a planned multi-billion dollar dam in Laos submitted a lawsuit to a court in Bangkok on Tuesday seeking to prevent their country buying power from the hydropower project.

Fifty Thai villagers representing communities along the Mekong river filed the suit against the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the energy ministry and the Thai cabinet at the Administrative Court.

"The river is our life. A dam will definitely affect our lives," said 52-year-old Niwat Roykaew, who lives alongside the Mekong in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai with his family and relies on it for water and fish.

Communist Laos, one of the world's most under-developed nations, hopes the Xayaburi dam will help it become "the battery of Southeast Asia".

Thailand has agreed to buy most of the electricity generated by the project, but Cambodia and Vietnam fear the dam could decimate their farming and fishing industries.

Laos has promised not to start construction of the actual dam structure until the concerns of its neighbours have been answered, although it says preparatory work has begun.

Environmentalists fear the proposed 1,260 megawatt dam will have disastrous environmental effects and harm the livelihoods of millions of people.

Opponents hope that a court ruling in their favour will cause Laos to rethink its plan.

"We are confident if there is no demand, there will be no supply," said Pianporn Deetes with International Rivers, a campaign group involved in the legal challenge

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-08-07

If they build the dam someone needs to blow it up. Do that as many times until they get fed up of pumping money into repairs! Everyone knows that dams are bad for the environment. Why is it so hard to understand????

If they build the dam someone needs to blow it up. Do that as many times until they get fed up of pumping money into repairs! Everyone knows that dams are bad for the environment. Why is it so hard to understand????

Producing energy by burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment as well....

Where did that name come from dam_n, They have electricity,flood prevention etc. promoting Dams and they always do more damage than good. dam_n bastards.

If they build the dam someone needs to blow it up. Do that as many times until they get fed up of pumping money into repairs! Everyone knows that dams are bad for the environment. Why is it so hard to understand????

Producing energy by burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment as well....

We are talking about more than "bad for the environment" in this case. 60 million peole depend on the fisheries in the lower Mekong and Tonle Sap. In addition, overflow from Mekong runs up into Tonle Sap and to the rice fields in major parts of Cambodia. Without the annual flooding, much of Cambodia's rice farming will be severly affected.

Fight against Xayaburi Dam goes to court

SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Conservationists and residents from eight provinces along the Mekong River yesterday lodged a petition with the Administrative Court against the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Energy Ministry and Cabinet over their involvement in the Xayaburi dam, proposed by the Lao government.

They claim the agencies illegally allowed EGAT to sign a pact to buy power from the controversial dam, chairperson of the conservation network, Niwat Roikaew, said. These state agencies failed to inform the public of environmental and social impacts from the dam, he said.

The 2007 Constitution requires concerned agencies to open a public hearing on any controversial project that may pose serious implications for the environment, society and public health, he said.

Some 70 conservationists and local residents gathered at the court yesterday while 37 representatives of the group signed the complaint. They came mostly from the Mekong provinces of Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani, located up- and downstream of the dam.

Laos has allowed preliminary building of the Xayaburi Dam to start on the mainstream of the river about 150km from Luang Prabang. The dam, if it goes ahead, would generate 1,260 MW of power mainly for Thailand.

Authorities in Vientiane claim the project has been temporarily suspended because downstream countries - also members of the Mekong River Commission - raised concern over possible negative impacts.

Lao officials say they are conducting further studies to minimise any such impact, but the conservationists said construction work has never stopped.

Lawyer Rattanamanee Polkla said the purchasing contract to buy electricity from the dam was illegal. The group has asked the court to nullify the contract and force the concerned agencies to follow the constitutional requirements, she said.

The court received the petition but will make a decision later on whether it has legal grounds to try the case, the lawyer said.

-- The Nation 2012-08-08

"Save the planet"

"Save the environment"

"Save the black lesbian single-parent disabled old-growth whales"

and it all has the same meaning and credibility of "Have a nice day."

Edited August 8, 201213 yr by OzMick

If they build the dam someone needs to blow it up. Do that as many times until they get fed up of pumping money into repairs! Everyone knows that dams are bad for the environment. Why is it so hard to understand????

What is so hard to understand that building a dam does not change the total amount of water that flows from Point A (above the dam) to Point B (below the dam) within, say for example, one year. The dam just regulates the flow, and actually helps mitigate the effects of (sometimes disastrous) flooding.

Edited August 8, 201213 yr by RogueExpat

Egat can't buy electricity from the dam_n?

I don't see how this is going to stick in terms odd stopping the dam_n? Did EGAT build it?