EU reps hear about Chatree gold mine, rights woes

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GOLD MINE
EU reps hear about mine, rights woes
Pratch Rujivanarom,
Boonchu Sritraipop
The Nation


A Rangsit University team draws blood from the arm of a boy during the second blood and urine sample collection in Phitsanulok

Officials learn of villagers' fear of heavy metal contamination

BANGKOK: -- EUROPEAN UNION representatives on Saturday investigated alleged human rights violations in communities near the Chatree gold mine in Loei's Wang Saphung district.

A team from Rangsit University also collected 500 blood and urine samples from residents at Thoongyao Temple in Phitsanulok's Noen Maprang district, which is near the Chatree Mining Complex, to check for heavy metal levels in their bodies.

Some 20 representatives from eight countries - Poland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Germany, Canada and the Czech Republic - met with villagers who oppose the gold mine operation in Loei. They insisted that they wouldn't interfere in Thai politics.

The meeting with some 150 members of the Rak Ban Kerd Group was held at Noen Sawang Temple in Banna Nongbong of Tambon Khaoluang. On the scene were almost two dozen soldiers, police and defence volunteers.

During the discussion security personnel and the media waited outside.

Surapan Rujichaiwat a representative of the demonstrators, reportedly told the EU team that villagers had to rise up to protect their natural resources because the gold mine, established a decade ago, had damaged the environment and led to negative social impacts.

He reportedly cited the provincial health office's warning for |people not to use water or consume fish in the area due to heavy metal contamination, which was also observed in villagers' blood tests.

Surapan said the demonstrators had been threatened and harassed, with the last most violent incident occurring on the night of May 15, 2013 when several demonstrators were attacked and injured by a group of men in a bid to clear the way so ore could be transported out of the mine.

The EU was also told villagers were being sued by the mine operator in many ongoing criminal and civil cases.

EU representative Sandra De Waele said the meeting was initiated so information could be passed on to the government and Thai and foreign human rights organisations.

While in Phitsanulok, Rangsit University professor Smith Tungkasmit said the second blood sample taken on the request of the joint gold-mine problem-solving committee had finished, as all 500 test tubes were used up.

"We have already collected enough samples according to the statistics guidelines and the samples will be tested to find traces of heavy metal, which may come from the goldmine's activity," Smith said.

A total 1,000 people in Phichit, Phetchabun and Phitsanulok, who live near Akara Resources' Chatree Mining Complex, provided the blood samples in two blood and urine collections. The last samples were taken on October 17-18.

Pricha Sangchan, a villager in Noen Maprang district who was also at the blood sample collection site, described the scene as a crowd of people queuing up to provide their blood sample.

Pricha said the anti-gold mine network from 12 provinces distributed bottled water, dried food and rice to the people during the blood sample collection.

He said the people near the goldmine cannot eat or drink anything local anymore because of fear of heavy metal contamination. The group donated food and water to relieve the financial burden of locals who have to buy these supplies from outside.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/EU-reps-hear-about-mine-rights-woes-30273962.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-30

[chainarong]

It is a blight on the Thai Administration ability to manage the environmental aspect of Thai mining activities when the EU has to come and listen to the villagers complaints, the Departments concerned need a complete overhaul , the mining regulations certainly need a overhaul , Mining , Health and Environmental Departments are laughable in their authority for compliance , these departments should be the peoples watch dog for breaches of the mining Health and Environmental act, after all isn't it the Governments duty of care to look after their people.................................................

[Baerboxer]

It is a blight on the Thai Administration ability to manage the environmental aspect of Thai mining activities when the EU has to come and listen to the villagers complaints, the Departments concerned need a complete overhaul , the mining regulations certainly need a overhaul , Mining , Health and Environmental Departments are laughable in their authority for compliance , these departments should be the peoples watch dog for breaches of the mining Health and Environmental act, after all isn't it the Governments duty of care to look after their people.................................................

And it's absolutely no business of those EU parasites.

The EU administration is fast becoming a mini UN. We can't solve all those complex issues we're supposed to address in Europe, so let's form lots of NGO's and Committees and go and "solve" everybody else's problems for them.

Yeah for trips and jobs for the boys and girls!

Meanwhile corruption, pollution, people abuses, migrant problems in Europe - all swept under the carpet.

[eliotness]

It is a blight on the Thai Administration ability to manage the environmental aspect of Thai mining activities when the EU has to come and listen to the villagers complaints, the Departments concerned need a complete overhaul , the mining regulations certainly need a overhaul , Mining , Health and Environmental Departments are laughable in their authority for compliance , these departments should be the peoples watch dog for breaches of the mining Health and Environmental act, after all isn't it the Governments duty of care to look after their people.................................................

And it's absolutely no business of those EU parasites.

The EU administration is fast becoming a mini UN. We can't solve all those complex issues we're supposed to address in Europe, so let's form lots of NGO's and Committees and go and "solve" everybody else's problems for them.

Yeah for trips and jobs for the boys and girls!

Meanwhile corruption, pollution, people abuses, migrant problems in Europe - all swept under the carpet.

I have to agree with you. Why would a mixture of EU nationals come to run an inquiry into a gold mine in Thailand ?

Thailand is not a major exporter of gold to the EU ! Is the mining company owned by a EU based multinational ?

This smells to me as one of the regular EU staff jollies. Just how long did they stay in Thailand and how long at the site of concern ? How many brought their "assistants" with them ? What grade of flight and hotel did the EU taxpayers have to pay for? Was their food and drink all on expenses ?

Whilst the possible pollution is of great concern for the local community and Thailand in general, I really believe this is one case where they (the EU) should be told "none of your business".

[sawadee1947]

It is a blight on the Thai Administration ability to manage the environmental aspect of Thai mining activities when the EU has to come and listen to the villagers complaints, the Departments concerned need a complete overhaul , the mining regulations certainly need a overhaul , Mining , Health and Environmental Departments are laughable in their authority for compliance , these departments should be the peoples watch dog for breaches of the mining Health and Environmental act, after all isn't it the Governments duty of care to look after their people.................................................

And it's absolutely no business of those EU parasites.

The EU administration is fast becoming a mini UN. We can't solve all those complex issues we're supposed to address in Europe, so let's form lots of NGO's and Committees and go and "solve" everybody else's problems for them.

Yeah for trips and jobs for the boys and girls!

Meanwhile corruption, pollution, people abuses, migrant problems in Europe - all swept under the carpet.

I have to agree with you. Why would a mixture of EU nationals come to run an inquiry into a gold mine in Thailand ?

Thailand is not a major exporter of gold to the EU ! Is the mining company owned by a EU based multinational ?

This smells to me as one of the regular EU staff jollies. Just how long did they stay in Thailand and how long at the site of concern ? How many brought their "assistants" with them ? What grade of flight and hotel did the EU taxpayers have to pay for? Was their food and drink all on expenses ?

Whilst the possible pollution is of great concern for the local community and Thailand in general, I really believe this is one case where they (the EU) should be told "none of your business".

This a quote to all 3 of you:

I think you do not understand what the EU members want. It's not about gold. Silly. It's about Human Rights. The right to live in a liveable environment. Clean fresh water, greens you can eat not contaminated with arsenics and other metals. And....it would not be only the right for EU to poont on it but for everybody even YOU (Eu=parasites? how silly is this?)

[chainarong]

It is a blight on the Thai Administration ability to manage the environmental aspect of Thai mining activities when the EU has to come and listen to the villagers complaints, the Departments concerned need a complete overhaul , the mining regulations certainly need a overhaul , Mining , Health and Environmental Departments are laughable in their authority for compliance , these departments should be the peoples watch dog for breaches of the mining Health and Environmental act, after all isn't it the Governments duty of care to look after their people.................................................

And it's absolutely no business of those EU parasites.

The EU administration is fast becoming a mini UN. We can't solve all those complex issues we're supposed to address in Europe, so let's form lots of NGO's and Committees and go and "solve" everybody else's problems for them.

Yeah for trips and jobs for the boys and girls!

Meanwhile corruption, pollution, people abuses, migrant problems in Europe - all swept under the carpet.

I have to agree with you. Why would a mixture of EU nationals come to run an inquiry into a gold mine in Thailand ?

Thailand is not a major exporter of gold to the EU ! Is the mining company owned by a EU based multinational ?

This smells to me as one of the regular EU staff jollies. Just how long did they stay in Thailand and how long at the site of concern ? How many brought their "assistants" with them ? What grade of flight and hotel did the EU taxpayers have to pay for? Was their food and drink all on expenses ?

Whilst the possible pollution is of great concern for the local community and Thailand in general, I really believe this is one case where they (the EU) should be told "none of your business".

This a quote to all 3 of you:

I think you do not understand what the EU members want. It's not about gold. Silly. It's about Human Rights. The right to live in a liveable environment. Clean fresh water, greens you can eat not contaminated with arsenics and other metals. And....it would not be only the right for EU to poont on it but for everybody even YOU (Eu=parasites? how silly is this?)

On the face of it the boys would prefer the degradation of the forests , cyanide in the water ways , lead poisoning , destroyed animal habitat , depleted fishing grounds water catchment pollution etc, not stopping to think that this is actually 2015 ,since Thailand became the so called emerging economy (1995 ) it has not come up to speed on anything of it's own making , it is quiet evident that Thailand needs a good kick in the arse in some quarters, even if it is the EU , UN and the US. that does it.

[aussiesteve63]

Akara resources is an Australian company that should know better as they wouldn't be able to operate like that back home

Edited November 30, 2015 by aussiesteve63