Mekong River survey begins despite opposition

[webfact]

Mekong River survey begins despite opposition
By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
NATTAWAT LAPING
THE NATION

 

File Photo: Mekong River File Photo: Mekong River

 

BANGKOK: -- SURVEY WORK on the Mekong River channel project officially started yesterday in Chiang Rai, and field survey by a Chinese company is expected to begin tomorrow amid strong opposition by environmentalists.

 

The Marine Department revealed yesterday that China’s CCCC Second Habor Consultant Co Ltd had informed the department that they would begin the survey on the Mekong River project yesterday and the work would conclude within two months.

 

Three Chinese survey vessels reportedly entered Thailand’s territory at the second Chiang Saen Port in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen District.

 

Liu Jian, the leader of the survey team, said they would conduct the survey at 15 locations along a 96-kilometre stretch of the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos, from the Golden Triangle to the Kaeng Pha Dai rapids. 

 

The work is expected to take 55 days. Yesterday, all 60 Chinese members of the team passed border inspection.

 

The acting director of Chiang Rai Provincial Marine Department Office, Suranart Sirichok, said the team would conduct the survey in three parts – an engineering survey, a hydraulic survey, and a geological survey.

 

Suranart stressed that this survey was only a part of the Mekong River development study and there was no plan to blast the rapids.

 

Jirasak Inthayot, coordinator of the local environmentalist group Rak Chiang Khong (Love Chiang Khong), said the group demanded that the survey be cancelled and said they would closely monitor activities.

 

“We were informed about the survey on Tuesday, but no more details about the survey were given to the local people,” Jirasak said.

 

“We still stand by our demand that the survey must stop and the company must [study] the impacts to the river ecosystem and people’s livelihood from the first phase of the project before considering the worthiness of this project. [They must] weigh the possible damage to the river and people’s livelihood.”

 

The Mekong River Navigation Improvement Project aims to make the Mekong River navigable for large cargo ships up to 500 tonnes gross from Yunnan province in China to Luang Prabang in Laos. The first phase of the project from China down to the Golden Triangle in Thailand has already been completed.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312742

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-20

[elgordo38]

The Chinese do pretty well what they want look at the South China Sea. It truly amazes me at all the "charades" governments go through to impress the populous when the final decisions are already cut and dried. Thailand being no exception. 

[AhFarangJa]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Suranart stressed that this survey was only a part of the Mekong River development study and there was no plan to blast the rapids.

Yeh Sure, and we all know that the deal is probably cut and dried, backhanders paid, and contracts safely locked in a drawer. 

[KKr]

in case this beautiful river is straightened, we will see the stream velocity significantly increase leading possibly to drought upstream, and likely flooding down stream.
(River Rhine management refers)
 

[Srikcir]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

China’s CCCC Second Habor Consultant Co Ltd had informed the department that they would begin the survey on the Mekong River project

It is protocol in respect to a nation's sovereignty that a foreign company must request permission to enter the country to perform. Unless the Prayut government is passively allowing this de facto invasion of the nation's sovereignty, it must have otherwise given advanced permission for such entry. In either case the Thai government would have denied the Thai people within the project area any voice in their future.

Situation Normal. 

[ddavidovsky]

The river between the Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen has already been denatured with concrete banks and tourist development. No small pratincoles on the sandbanks last time I was there - in fact, the sandbanks were overgrown, now the flow of water is evidently no longer natural due to dams higher up.

 

All I can suggest is that conservation bodies need to promote Thailand's natural heritage far more effectively.

Only by changing popular attitudes can anything be done to protect what's left.

Edited April 20, 2017 by ddavidovsky

[sharecropper]

The "Powers That Be (Unelected)" simply whoring out the country to their paymasters.

 

Get used to it.

[wakeupplease]

The Chinese takeover continues and Thais do not see what is coming, even here in the UK they try it on with Chinese restaurants now switching over To Thai food served the Chinese way, Greasy yesterdays leftovers and that is what many will be in 10 years time. Enjoy your Chinese Thai takeaway.

[elgordo38]

14 hours ago, KKr said:

in case this beautiful river is straightened, we will see the stream velocity significantly increase leading possibly to drought upstream, and likely flooding down stream.
(River Rhine management refers)
 

Yes as the custodians of Mother Nature we have failed miserably. 

[elgordo38]

13 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Thai government would have denied the Thai people within the project area any voice in their future.

Something they are truly good at.