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THE NATION: Politics: Committee lik



THE NATION: Politics: Committee likely to investigate Yadna pipeline project

      NEGOTIATIORS discussing the
      controversial Yadana gas pipeline being
      built in Kanchanaburi are close to agreeing
      on the establishment of a national
      committee to examine the project, informed
      sources said Sunday. 

      The committee, which would reportedly be
      chaired by former PM Anand Panyarachun,
      will look at all aspects surrounding the
      project for eight to 10 days and then pass
      on its findings to the Cabinet, which will
      then make a final decision on how to
      proceed with the pipeline. 

      Construction of the pipeline will be halted
      while the committee holds its deliberations,
      but the protestors who have been
      hampering construction by camping out in
      the Kanchanaburi forest will have to close
      down their encampment and leave the site
      once the Cabinet has made its decision. 

      A final agreement on the national
      committee had yet to be reached as of
      early Sunday evening, according to one
      NGO source, but if the details can ultimately
      be worked out, a press conference is due
      to be held at Parliament this morning to
      announce the agreement. 

      The committee -- which is slated to include
      such public figures as social critic Dr
      Prawase Wasi, Thammasat University's
      Kaewsan Atipoh, Bangchak chief Sophon
      Suphapong, Sen Paibool Wattanaseritham,
      Mahidol University's Chirapol Sintunawa,
      and Suraphol Sudara and Chaiwat
      Satha-anand from Chulalongkorn University
      -- will then begin to meet tomorrow. 

      According to the source, the committee will
      not be limited to discussing the pipeline's
      route but can examine all aspects of the
      project, including its much-criticised
      environmental-impact assessment and the
      current state of Thailand's energy demands.

      Among the issues still being discussed in
      Sunday's negotiations, which were being
      carried out by telephone and coordinated
      with the help of PM's Office Minister
      Supatra Masdit, was the amount of time to
      be given to the committee for deliberations,
      and by extension the length of the work
      stoppage. 

      Pipeline opponents were calling for a
      construction moratorium of 10 days, while
      the Petroleum of Authority of Thailand (PTT)
      wanted it limited to eight, according to the
      NGO source, who stated that the oil
      company also objected to TV broadcasts of
      the committee's proceedings 

      PTT officials could not be reached for
      comment Sunday but in the past have
      objected strongly to delays in construction,
      claiming it will have to pay stiff fines to its
      contractor for each day of delay and even
      larger fines to its partners in Burma if it
      does not finish the project on time. 

      The NGO source also noted that while
      opponents would have to halt their forest
      sit-in once the Cabinet made a final
      decision on the project, they would still be
      free to carry out other activities. 

      The opponents, who include both local
      conservationists and national environmental
      groups, have called for the pipeline's route
      to be changed so it does not pass through
      a pristine watershed-forest area which is
      home to numerous wildlife, including
      several herds of elephants. 

      Most people in Kanchanaburi and
      Ratchaburi provinces, the media and
      Bangkok residents support the Yadana
      gas-pipeline project, according to a recent
      poll by Suan Dusit Rajabhat Institute. 

      Almost 60 per cent of Bangkok residents,
      69.67 per cent of the press and 82.29 per
      cent of Kanchanaburi people said they
      thought the government should complete
      the project. 

      But supporters said that the project should
      be subject to a number of conditions,
      including minimial impact on the
      environment, a reliable safety-control
      system and adherence to building
      standards. 

      Only 8.68 per cent of Kanchanaburi and
      Ratchaburi residents disapproved of the
      project, suggesting that the government
      should instead campaign for energy saving,
      find other natural resources and review its
      assessment of the advantages and
      drawbacks of the project. Meanwhile, 11.13
      per cent of the press and 11.13 per cent of
      Bangkok residents said the project should
      be scrapped. 

      More than 60 per cent of respondents in
      Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces
      said they were confident that the Petroleum
      Authority of Thailand had adhered to safety
      standards during construction. 

      However, 54.08 per cent of the press and
      60.19 per cent of Bangkok residents said
      they had no confidence in the safety of the
      construction, citing corruption, and lack of
      safety standards and information about the
      construction. 

      BY JAMES FAHN 

      The Nation