Local activists protest against blasting of Mekong River

[webfact]

Local activists protest against blasting of Mekong River
By The Nation

 

Photo by FB user; Saikong Napatan

 

CHIANG RAI: -- A group of activists in the northern province of Chiang Rai on Monday conducted a peaceful protest against the presence of a Chinese vessel assigned to conduct a study along the Mekong River.

 

The activists and groups championing the Mekong ecosystem have stated that they believe the study would lead to the blasting of rapids in the river to facilitate cargo navigation in favour of China.

 

At about 9am, activist networks from Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong and Wieng Kaen met at Pa Pra View Point, with some of them boarding long-tail boats and displaying placards and “love water” flags in the middle of the river.

 

On the land, representatives of local residents discussed the importance of protecting the Mekong River.

 

Activists then read the “Chiang Khong” declaration calling for the protection of the river before boarding a boat to display placards near where the Chinese survey vessel was docked.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30315257

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-15

 

[phantomfiddler]

Leave the river alone ! Why does everything have to bend to the will of the chinese ? A greedier more bullying race never existed. The river should be left in it,s natural state, just like the islands in the South China Sea, and China should be allowed to mess up it,s own environment as it is so successfully doing at the moment.

[Flustered]

I think you will find that China has already messed up it's own environment and wants to share the success with others.

 

Biggest problem to be faced is that the hordes of PRC tourists are completely ignorant of foreign culture, don't give a toss about anyone and will happily ruin the environment of other countries. To them it is the natural order of things. They don't even care that one likes them.

[DonaldBattles]

Few Thais realize that Thailand does not own the Mekong as it was lost in a war settlement with the French in 1893. 

[DonaldBattles]

On 5/16/2017 at 1:26 PM, Flustered said:

I think you will find that China has already messed up it's own environment and wants to share the success with others.

 

Biggest problem to be faced is that the hordes of PRC tourists are completely ignorant of foreign culture, don't give a toss about anyone and will happily ruin the environment of other countries. To them it is the natural order of things. They don't even care that one likes them.

I am curious as to how you define foreign culture.  The Zhou Dynasty in China goes back to 1046 years BC.

[DonaldBattles]

On 5/16/2017 at 8:26 AM, phantomfiddler said:

Leave the river alone ! Why does everything have to bend to the will of the chinese ? A greedier more bullying race never existed. The river should be left in it,s natural state, just like the islands in the South China Sea, and China should be allowed to mess up it,s own environment as it is so successfully doing at the moment.

Notice that the Thai  government is not opposed to the blasting of the rapids in the Mekong River.  It will be easier for smaller Chinese made submarines to navigate. 

[Flustered]

4 hours ago, DonaldBattles said:

I am curious as to how you define foreign culture.  The Zhou Dynasty in China goes back to 1046 years BC.

The Xia dynasty goes back to circa 2000 BC

 

Is your point that culture is defined by the oldest civilisation? You are not very clear. (must be too many beers with TS)

 

The Zhou dynasty had little influence (if any) over what is Thailand today so the Thai culture is what has developed within the existing boundaries. Of course, you could claim that the influx of PRC are now changing the dynamics and that Thai culture will have to change with it.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 3:50 PM, DonaldBattles said:

Few Thais realize that Thailand does not own the Mekong as it was lost in a war settlement with the French in 1893. 

My map gives the middle of the Mekong as the border, except for the bit where Laos occupies land on the Thai side of the river.

 

I don't get the problem anyway. Using the river for transport would seem like a pretty good idea as keeping trucks off the roads.

If anyone is complaining about modifying nature, they should also be complaining about all man made modifications like farmland, roads and quarries. The existence of over 6 billion people would be impossible without ruining nature wherever humans intrude.

[Rhys]

...how long before we read about another negative outcome about the protesters...