Pak Moon protesters turn to ancient rituals to save rivers

BANGKOK: -- Pak Moon villagers today performed a ritual ceremony in Khong Chiem district of Ubon Ratchathani province in what they said was to save the rivers from devastation by dam constructions.

The villagers who are led by the Assembly of the Poor performed ritual ceremony in the Moon river and on the bridge under the watchful eyes of police and soldiers.

They later hanged a banner on the bridge which reads “Rivers for life not for Death” to send messages to authorities that they strongly opposed to the construction of any major power dam projects in the Mekong and the Moon rivers.

They said construction of dam projects in the Mekong river which is an international river will have serious ecological impacts on lives of marine lives and livelihood of people living along the river basins.

Laos is to build a hydro power dam project in lower Mekong river between Lao township of Pakse and Cambodian town of Krajae. When completed, it will have the capacity to produce 240-260 megawatts of electricity.

The Moon river flows through 11 provinces of Northern Thailand before it flows into the Mekong River. But 5.5 kilometres upstream from where it merges with the Mekong a 300 metre-long concrete wall, part of the Pak Moon dam, blocks the river.

The Pak Moon dam, which started operating in 1994, is Thailand’s latest major, and by far most controversial, hydro power project and is strongly opposed by villagers.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pak-moon-protesters-turn-to-ancient-rituals-to-save-rivers

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-14

Ancient rituals, great, so now we get flooding.

If you do what you did. then you'll get what you got. Those rituals didn't help much before so they will not help much now.

Egypt did the same thing. They dammed the Nile and now the farmers struggle to produce their crops.................stupid no brainer. People with money only looking after people with money.

performed a ritual ceremony

Yea, that will work.

Imbeciles.

Egypt did the same thing. They dammed the Nile and now the farmers struggle to produce their crops.................stupid no brainer. People with money only looking after people with money.

Unfortunately, that's how it works.

Peasants are ruled and are taken advantage of all over the world. Either they suck it up and deal with it, or they get your hands dirty and do something about it, but protesting and hanging signs of fa bridge ain't gonna do much.

Does this not come under the martial law of gathering of 5 or more to protest? Or is it only if you protest about the Junta and democracy you get arrested? BTW I support these people demonstrating - look what's happened in China after the 7 gorge dam - they can make or break nearly any country that the river flows through