NCPO's heavy hand casts cloud on rights

[webfact]

NCPO's heavy hand casts cloud on rights
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- DURING the past year, villagers in rural provinces have felt their power to protect their communities weaken in the face of the mighty National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

After the NCPO staged the coup 12 months ago on this day, more than 100 mining licences have either been renewed or issued with locals remaining in the dark about what has been going on.

It is hard for local leaders or local environmentalists to mobilise residents in the same neighbourhood to block a project that may have serious impacts on the local environment and their health during the NCPO period.

If they hold a big gathering - even to provide information on possible adverse impacts from a project - they will attract the attention of soldiers.

Chainarong Srethachua, a lecturer of the Mahasarakam University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, said he had received a summons from the Maha Sarakham branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) only because he planned to stage a seminar in a classroom.

The seminar sought to address the case in which locals cried foul over the deployment of troops to help Apico trucks carrying a drilling rig move past protesting locals in the Ban Na Mun, Tambon Dun Sad in Khon Kaen's Kranuan district. Locals there staged the protest against Apico out of concern that its new oil well sits too close to their neighbourhood and might affect their health.

"The NCPO should be able to tell the difference between security issues and community efforts to protect their rights," the lecturer said. He added that the Isoc even sent soldiers to his seminar venue.

Military presence is also heavy whenever locals gather at forums held to gather people's opinions on projects approved by the government or central government agencies.

"How will locals muster the courage to speak up when they see detention-cell trucks nearby and video cameras are on all the time?" Chainarong said.

Conflicts expected in the future

Surachai Trongngam, secretary-general of the EnlawThai Foundation, believes after the NCPO steps down, licences issued or renewed during its period will run into trouble.

"A conflict will arise in the future because when impacts from these projects are felt, locals will rise up to complain that the projects have failed to listen to their opinions and did not include local participation," he said.

He also pointed out the Ban Na Dun case as a solid example of how state or security officials ignored the voice of locals.

He said locals had real concerns about how the Apico operation would affect their neighbourhood.

"Any explosion from an oil rig at the nearby well can affect artesian water sources," he said, "Gas from the rigging operation may also harm people's health. Moderate exposure may not cause deaths. But still, it can cause eye irritations and affect the respiratory system. All such problems have been experienced by some communities before.

According to Surachai, locals in Ban Na Mun can gather because they have received information on the project before.

"Elsewhere, some communities can't even make a strong case against questionable projects because of the strict measures used by the NCPO," said Decha Kambaomuang of the Isan Rights and Liberty Centre.

He said soldiers would show up every time locals planned to stage a gathering.

"So, it's almost impossible to give information to people," he said, "When soldiers show up, people of course feel uncomfortable joining the gathering".

Decha said his centre had tried to protect community rights by staging small gatherings, events that would hardly attract authorities' attention.

"But impacts are small each time," he said.

Decha said the NCPO-installed government seemed to see many mining operations and petroleum explorations, which were taking place in the Northeast, as good for the country's economy.

"But what about local people's rights? What about their rights to protect themselves and their communities?" he said.

Surachai said the NCPO should give people a channel to make their voices heard.

"Don't exclude people, particularly in big projects that will affect their lives and communities," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/NCPOs-heavy-hand-casts-cloud-on-rights-30260666.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-22

[oneday]

[billd766]

What the writer fails to mention is that whilst there were more than 100 villages affected there are more than 77,000 villages in Thailand to put it into a bit more perspective

[JAG]

Does it really matter if it's 100 or 1000 villages?

If the village is holding a meeting to discuss oil wells being drilled nearby and troops poll up with detention wagons, that's intimidation and repression- just to put it in perspective as it were!

[mikemac]

When I do work it is in the mining industry in Australia. I see this all the time, farmers and landowners protesting about mining companies opening new mines in their area. The most common fear is what the mining process does to the water table.

The government usually allow the mines to go ahead because of the taxes and royalties the government collects.

[Srikcir]

How will locals muster the courage to speak up?

That is the whole point of suppression. The public cannot question or oppose any actions of the Junta who is the sole holder of Thai sovereignty. You'd think that after 11 coups Thai people would understand that the first act of any coup is to abolish people's rights and liberties. But somehow with the Prayut coup, people thought there would be a kinder and gentler military-led government.

[somo]

I wonder if the people of Thailand will be allowed to discuss the new constitution before voting in the referendum. Surely they will have to restore some free speech and rights to hold meetings if the result is going to have any credibility. If not they may just as well announce the result as 95% in favour like all the polls on the governments popularity.

[tbthailand]

Decha said the NCPO-installed government seemed to see many mining operations and petroleum explorations, which were taking place in the Northeast, as good for the country's economy.

or good for someone's pockets... given the consistency of the Junta's decisions, it is hard not to wonder out loud...

if there were a free press and an investigative media in Thailand under this "government", then there might be a light shined into the crevices of this abuse.

Slim chance of that happening...

[elgordo38]

What the writer fails to mention is that whilst there were more than 100 villages affected there are more than 77,000 villages in Thailand to put it into a bit more perspective

Even 1 village harmed by mining operations is one to many. All 77,000 villages most certainly do not have mines operating close to them.

[elgordo38]

When I do work it is in the mining industry in Australia. I see this all the time, farmers and landowners protesting about mining companies opening new mines in their area. The most common fear is what the mining process does to the water table.

The government usually allow the mines to go ahead because of the taxes and royalties the government collects.

Profits trump people every time.