Environmental dispute: Call for CSD involvement in Loei

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ENVIRONMENTAL DISPUTE
Call for CSD involvement
Boonchu Sritraipop
The Nation
Loei

LoeI villagers fear fresh attack

BANGKOK: -- Several networks are pressuring police to quickly nail the culprits behind a recent blatant and well-organised attack on villagers engaged in a long-running environmental dispute with a nearby mine.

They also demanded that the Loei governor bring the Crime Suppression Division into the investigation, which is being handled by local police.

Late on Thursday night, villagers said more than 100 masked men stormed into Ban Na Nong Bong in Tambon Khao Luang, Wang Saphung district.

Wielding iron bars and carrying knives and guns, the men attacked residents. Some victims were held illegally until Friday morning.

More than 30 were injured, three seriously.

Locals alleged the armed men had links to the mining company. While the men were there several trucks left the company's compound, reportedly carrying a huge amount of copper.

Veerapon Charoentham, the co-ordinator for the 10 community networks calling for swift action, yesterday joined a blessing ceremony held to boost the morale of Ban Na Nong Bong residents.

The networks issued a joint statement listing several demands, including the aforementioned ones. The networks include the Loei Health Society Network, the Tambon Administrative Organisation's Chief Administrator Club, the Lawyers Council of Thailand, and the Media for Development Network.

"Local people are now worried about their safety. They believe such armed men will return to facilitate the delivery of valuable minerals out of the mine again," the statement said.

Locals have expressed strong opposition to the mining operation as they suspect that valuable minerals were brought in from elsewhere and smelted in a way that endangered their health and the environment. Public health authorities warned locals not to use rainwater and water in the area.

Santipap Siriwattanapibul, a lecturer at Udon Thani Rajabhat University, yesterday joined several organisations in expressing concern over the violence.

They released a joint statement urging the Loei governor and police to quickly take action against the culprits.

The statement also demanded that relevant authorities develop measures to protect human-rights defenders in Wang Saphung district.

"Necessary action must be taken before deaths and forced disappearances of human-rights defenders take place," it said.

Last month, prominent activist Pholachi "Billy" Rakchongcharoen went missing in Phetchaburi.


-- The Nation 2014-05-19

[chainarong]

The whole of the Thai administration structure is a worry, the health department told the villages not to use the water , why don't the health dept then take this automatically to the environmental Authority, they are the ones to start the chain of command to start the process of investigating the issues at the mine,also with the Mines Department .

[Civil War]

If the villagers are worried that the police are inactive on this issue (probably paid by the mining Co)... Then all they really need to do is to instigate a campaign to get as much of the media on site to record it all, including the police apathy to clear serious crimes. This is the sort of story the WORLD media love.... 'Big mining Co threatens lowly village folk with armed terrorists while systematically poisoning them while police look other way'..

The press love this sort of thing.

That will stop the thugs from appearing, and put pressure on the mining Co and police to toe the line. Might even end up closing the operation down.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Civil War

[brianP]

Time to investigate this mining operation and it's other interests too!

[WhizBang]

Too many vested interests. The ONLY thing that would likely get action on this would be proper investigative reporting. Won't happen in Thailand with the Thai media, but maybe if the international media got involved (Reuters?), investigated and published abroad, it would help to shine a light on the goings on there.

[TerrylSky]

If the villagers are worried that the police are inactive on this issue (probably paid by the mining Co)... Then all they really need to do is to instigate a campaign to get as much of the media on site to record it all, including the police apathy to clear serious crimes. This is the sort of story the WORLD media love.... 'Big mining Co threatens lowly village folk with armed terrorists while systematically poisoning them while police look other way'..

The press love this sort of thing.

That will stop the thugs from appearing, and put pressure on the mining Co and police to toe the line. Might even end up closing the operation down.

Yeah, just like the Rohingya in Myanmar, and the consequent the lack of assistance of Thailand to aid refugees fleeing for their lives, - and moreover - the death of a Thai environmentalist lobbying against illegal logging in a Thai national park. Good luck.