Gold-mining firm to drop lawsuit against villagers, but wants to talk first
Boonchu Sritriapop
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Thung Kham Ltd has for now decided to drop a Bt120-million civil lawsuit against 33 villagers in Loei protesting against the firm's gold-mining operations, saying it was ready to talk to the protesters first, an informed source reported yesterday.

The firm is suing the villagers for walling up a road leading to the mine in tambon Khao Luang of Wang Saphung district.

Loei governor Viroj Jivarangsan, Loei Army commander Maj-General Thalerngsak Pulsuwan and attorney Wachira Phromthes were also present at the talks between Wichit Chiamwichitkun, an executive from Tongkah Harbour, who was there on behalf of Thung Kham Ltd, and the "Rak Ban Kerd" group at City Hall.

The talks resulted in the company agreeing to withdraw all civil lawsuits on condition that they can talk the villagers first for a better understanding, the source said.

As for the criminal lawsuit against the protesters, Wachira said the public prosecutor had considered all the information and was not likely to take the lawsuit further in order to promote reconciliation and a good ending.

Citing the case in which some 200 men in black had assaulted some protesters on the night of May 15, Wachira said the justice procedure had run its course and, so far, four suspects had been indicted while police was gathering evidence against other suspects.

Viroj said he wanted both sides to "take one step back from confrontation", while provincial and related agencies were trying to solve the problem with political means. He also said he believed the problem would be resolved by December 5, which would also be a good merit for His Majesty's birthday occasion.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Gold-mining-firm-to-drop-lawsuit-against-villagers-30246572.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-30

"The talks resulted in the company agreeing to withdraw all civil lawsuits on condition that they can talk the villagers first for a better understanding, the source said."

In other words see if your threats of law suits and the violence enacted against the villagers in the past has had the desired effect and they are now prepared to give in to your corporate will.

The talks resulted in the company agreeing to withdraw all civil lawsuits on condition that they can talk the villagers first for a better understanding, the source said.

Look like blackmail attempt.

Citing the case in which some 200 men in black had assaulted some protesters on the night of May 15, Wachira said the justice procedure had run its course and, so far, four suspects had been indicted while police was gathering evidence against other suspects.

Viroj said he wanted both sides to "take one step back from confrontation", while provincial and related agencies were trying to solve the problem with political means.

Solving the problem with political means? They are joking!

Solving the problem by putting money in the politicians pocket (and RTP) never solve anything in Thailand.

Up in the wife's village there is a gold mine proposed up the hill where all our well water trickles into te subterranean passages. The local villagers are just starting to get organised in their opposition now. Glad they figured out it was a bad idea having chmicals in the water we drink and wash in....so they got organised.

What is going on here, where is the Mines department , the Environmental department , the Health department, these departments should be investigating claims by the Villagers , not the company riding roughshod over the villagers, the company has concessions granted by the government to work the leases for the benefit of the country and its people, they do not own the land, the villagers in the first instance should have approached those departments and demanded action, just messing with local authorities is a waste of time and encourages more corrupt action.

Maybe company will provide with data showing cyanide in your water is actually a health benefit. Gee, attacked by 200? Like Deep Throat said "Follow the money".

Gold can be mined very cleanly and safely, indeed, if done right. The Barrick mine in Tasmania is a prime example of what can be achieved if the company is forced to adhere to environmental guidelines. Their output water is cleaner than what they take in.

Some of Barrick's other mines in other countries are an environmental disaster. It just shows that it is good governance that forces safe mining practices.

Gold is mined here in the cheap and dirty way, soil and groundwater is heavily polluted with cyanide that is used to separate the gold from the rock.

Indeed there are much cleaner ways of doing this, but other international bodies with different agendas make this difficult.

Proper use of mercury in a closed loop system in gold mining and refining could stop this pollution.

But the UN with support from the US and Europe (read gold and banker lobby) wants to limit the availability of mercury for small scale gold mining by forbidding the trade in mercury under the cover of environmental protection. The real reason is to gain control over the production of gold and make it more difficult for mostly poorer countries to produce gold themselves.

Gold can be mined very cleanly and safely, indeed, if done right. The Barrick mine in Tasmania is a prime example of what can be achieved if the company is forced to adhere to environmental guidelines. Their output water is cleaner than what they take in.

Some of Barrick's other mines in other countries are an environmental disaster. It just shows that it is good governance that forces safe mining practices.

Yes your right mining can be done cleanly and safely IF done right, unfortunately not often done right.

Having worked for Barrick for several years I know first hand just what they did at the mine I worked at, they talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk well that's a different story, not always but quite often. FACT men and Occasionally women will piss and take a dump underground if pressure is applied form them not to go too surface to use toilets, as for toilets underground, I'd never use one,

Spilled Hydraulic oil, diesel, spills grease,( amfo spill, isonol spills,) the stuff that makes it go BANG! underground fires, fire suppression units going off, plastic, vent bag, ropes, hydraulic hoses, poly pipe, the list goes' on.

So water quality better output than what they take in, who's checking the water quality before and after??????

Example; An oil spill must be reported if it is 20 liters or more, As former truck driver and loader operator in bogging headings, and stope's and loading trucks, etc, often hydraulic oil is spilled and the figure quoted is 19 liters or less, there for not reported this goes for jumbo's and long hole drills and getmans, now that's just one example and there are many other ways mining company's can go around issues. the same goes for LTI'S MTI'S, (injuries) safety.

As for the mine in Tasmania, I can't say as I've not worked there, any one that's worked in the mining game knows that mining is a small world and news travels fast among the workers.

Edited October 30, 201411 yr by aussieinthailand

The decision to drop the lawsuit against the Villagers will set a terrible precedent.

Soon lowly peasants will think they actually have some sort of right to argue for clean water and air quality standards against large corporations.

deleted.

Edited October 30, 201411 yr by Time Traveller

The problem with situations like this is the locals want jobs, so accept the pollution into their water. The water for people nearby and downstream gets polluted and any one eating fish from these waterways gets to ingest the toxic chemicals as well. Mining - especially gold - should be banned within safe limits of all water ways.

In fact, in Northern California today - more than 150 years after the gold rush - the rivers are still polluted with mercury.

Edited October 30, 201411 yr by Time Traveller

The problem with situations like this is the locals want jobs, so accept the pollution into their water. The water for people nearby and downstream gets polluted and any one eating fish from these waterways gets to ingest the toxic chemicals as well. Mining - especially gold - should be banned within safe limits of all water ways.

In fact, in Northern California today - more than 150 years after the gold rush - the rivers are still polluted with mercury.

You can't plan the deposit of ores in relation to waterways and populated area, but you can regulate and control that production is done in an environmentally responsible way.

Modern techniques allow this and for example mercury can be used to purify gold in a closed loop system where the mercury is used again and again.

The problem in Thailand is that there are regulations, but the enforcement sucks and is easily paid off to look the other way. The next step as you see is that the company is allowed by the bribed officials to intimidate or even kill the locals in order to keep the flow of money going.

Gold is mined here in the cheap and dirty way, soil and groundwater is heavily polluted with cyanide that is used to separate the gold from the rock.

Indeed there are much cleaner ways of doing this, but other international bodies with different agendas make this difficult.

Proper use of mercury in a closed loop system in gold mining and refining could stop this pollution.

But the UN with support from the US and Europe (read gold and banker lobby) wants to limit the availability of mercury for small scale gold mining by forbidding the trade in mercury under the cover of environmental protection. The real reason is to gain control over the production of gold and make it more difficult for mostly poorer countries to produce gold themselves.

The UN is a useless money waster in the highest order. The latest (at least the loudest} is the CC/GW hogwash they are shoving down our throats.