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Bangkok Post 97/01/05 GAS PIPELIN
- Subject: Bangkok Post 97/01/05 GAS PIPELIN
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 05:25:00
January 5, 1998
GAS PIPELINE PROJECT / PROTEST CONTINUES
Sulak urges
peaceful dialogue
Pipeline laying 'hurts plants and
animals'
Chakrit Ridmontri
Kanchanaburi
Disputes over the gas pipeline project between conservation
groups and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand will be solved if
the two sides stick to the principle of peaceful dialogue, social
critic Sulak Sivaraksa said.
Mr Sulak told the groups staging a sit-in protest at the pipeline's
construction site last weekend to conduct their protest in a
peaceful manner. He said this was the only way out.
"Don't think that the non-violent action is powerless. If you (the
protesters) stick to peaceful means in solving the disputes, you
will win," he said.
The groups began their protest at the construction site last week
after their attempt to talk to the government about the possibility
of rerouting the pipeline away from the forests failed.
About 50 protesters comprising Kanchanaburi conservation
group, students from conservation clubs of 16 universities and
supporters from Bangkok, are camping across the pipeline route
at Huey Pa Khok forest in Thong Pha Phum district.
The area is classified as first grade watershed forest and also the
habitat of wild elephants, hog-nose bat and queen crab which
are found only in this forest.
The PTT which is in charge of the project's construction is laying
the 260km pipeline starting from the Thai-Burmese border at
I-tong village to a gas power plant in Ratchaburi. It signed
contracts with the gas drilling consortium five years ago to buy
gas from Burma's Yadana and Yetagun fields in the Andaman
Sea.
Disputes arose when the PTT began the pipeline's construction
last year and intensified last November after the cabinet allowed
it to begin working on the first 50km of the pipeline route which
is covered with forests. About six km of the forest section is lush
and classified as protected area.
"It is so sad that the PTT claims that it would replant trees and
flowers above the location where the pipeline is buried. Laying
the gas pipeline is never peaceful because it destroys plants and
affects animals and villagers.
"PTT must stop looking down on the villagers and protesters. If
the PTT and the government want to end the disputes, it must
engage in peaceful talks with opponents," he said.
He said not only conservation groups oppose the gas pipeline
project but also civil groups across the country, so Premier
Chuan Leekpai should oversee the case himself.
He also called on the PTT not to insist on going ahead with the
project as long as it could not resolve the issue with the groups.
He said the economic crunch had reduced the demand for
energy in the country, so it was not necessary to build the project
in haste.
Mr Sulak charged that the PTT was lying that the project must
be completed before the middle of this year otherwise it would
be fined 40 million baht per day by the gas drilling consortium
which comprises Total of France, Unocal of USA, Burmese gas
enterprise and a PTT affiliated company.
He said there were clauses in the contracts indicating that both
the PTT and the consortium would not be subject to fines if the
project was not completed on time due to the protest.
Boonsong Chansongrassamee, leader of Kanchanaburi
Conservation group, said the protest would continue unless the
PTT halted construction work and resumed discussion with the
groups.
According to Mr Boonsong, the groups would take tougher
action this week in an attempt to stop the PTT from cutting trees
in lush forests. He said the roads that the PTT built in the forests
to carry the pipes and construction materials had facilitated
outsiders to occupy land in the forests which were once
inaccessible.
Members of student conservation clubs from across the country
also launched a campaign at Sanam Luang in Bangkok
yesterday. Called "Amazing the PTT", the students informed
tourists who joined the Amazing Thailand festival currently taking
place there about negative impacts of the project.