Anti-gold mine groups submit 4 petitions to Thai govt

[webfact]

Anti-gold mine groups submit 4 petitions
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation


Protesters from 12 provinces gather at the Office of the Civil Service Commission yesterday to submit petitions to the government.

BANGKOK: -- FOUR petitions to stop a new gold-mine concession, end existing gold-mining operations, scrap the minerals bill and evacuate people from pollution-affected areas were presented to the government yesterday by protesters from 12 provinces covered by the gold-mine concession plan.

Almost 1,000 protesters from Phichit, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Loei, Nakhon Sawan, Sara Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Surat Thani, Sa Kaew and Satun showed up at the Office of the Civil Service Commission yesterday morning to hand over petitions with 20,000 names to the prime minister.

Kamol Suksomboon, adviser to the PM's Office minister, received the petitions.

Suekanya Teerachartdamrong, representative of the anti-gold mine group from Pichit, said they were demanding that the government reconsider the concession plan because new mines would only destroy the environment and livelihood of nearby communities, while problems arising from existing gold-mining operations remained unsolved.

"We have asked the prime minister to accept four demands: stop the concession for new gold mines in 12 provinces, cease the operation of existing gold mines, terminate the minerals bill and relocate people affected by gold-mine pollution to new areas," she said.

She added that Kamol had promised to pass the four petitions on to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Prayut gave an assurance yesterday that new mines would not commence operations if current problems concerning gold-mining were not resolved.

Suraphong Chiengtong, director of the Primary Industries and Mines Department, said his agency would certainly consider the protesters' demands and emphasised that the department considered people's quality of life as the main priority.

"Currently, the plan for opening new gold-mine concessions in 12 provinces is postponed indefinitely because we realise that the local people are worried about the plan. However, it is certain that the delay will affect the confidence of investors," he said.

Suekanya, who is from Khao Mor village in Phichit's Tap Khlo district, which is situated next to Akara Resource's gold mine, said more than 600 people had to move away because they could no longer stand the heavy-metal contamination from the mine, which has caused death and sickness.

"It is not only Uncle Somkid [Thampawet], who recently died from neurological disease, as many of the locals have become sick and died from the high level of heavy metal in their bodies. In just the last three months, 20 people have passed away," she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Anti-gold-mine-groups-submit-4-petitions-30269349.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-23

[chainarong]

There certainly needs to be a government inquiry into mining in Thailand, if 20 people have died with heavy metals in the blood system in the last decade , it is important to have a good public image as well as corporate responsibility , from what I have seen and I am involved in the industry, these things don't happen in Thailand and as I have indicated before , the Health , Mines and Environment Departments need to be brought up to international standards , banning mining or banning this and that from Thailand sends the wrong message to any company not only mining companies , but the Government wants to pull its finger out and start doing something positive, the mining act is about 500 years out of date , you could start on that first.

[oneday]

My prediction...they will be summarily ignored.

Too much money going into official's pockets to look the other way.

[BSJ]

Some folk from the village I live in attended. Our water supply depends on the hills above the village and the miners want to mine right there!

[dageurreotype]

My prediction...they will be summarily ignored.

Too much money going into official's pockets to look the other way.

Au contraire, Prayuth's just issued a ban on new licences, for the time being. Perhaps the military's notorious involvement in these mines are becoming an embarrassment.

[eliotness]

It's not clear from the article, are they going to actually mine underground or will they be opencast mines? I suspect it will be the latter. Also, what is the gold content of the rock to be mined, i.e. how much waste will be produced per ounce of pure gold produced, how deep underground are the seams and how thick are they ? As the government is promoting sustainable development these questions need to be asked, and finally what is the financial gain to the government (not the bribes, the actual contribution to state funds).

[fred Kubasa]

Four or forty petitions makes no difference. Do these groups really think

the Government gives a damn what they want/think they want ?

[eliotness]

If the government really thinks the mines will benefit the country's economy then they should say so in a transparent manner (sounds of laughter from a lot of posters). However failure to do that would suggest that only certain HiSos are going to make a lot of cash and bugger the buffaloes.