Chuan stalls formation of mediating

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Chuan stalls formation of mediating panel

Project opponents say they can wait

Chakrit Ridmontri

Feb. 12 1998
Bangkok Post


An initiative to settle differences between opposing parties in the
gas pipeline issue has been stalled by the prime minister.

The establishment of a public information panel to mediate
between conservation groups and the Petroleum Authority of
Thailand has not been authorised by Chuan Leekpai.

Groups that want to keep the pipeline out of forests won an
agreement from the administration and the PTT to set up the
panel, whose findings would be put to the government for further
consideration and publicised.

The committee comprises prominent persons acceptable by both
sides, among them Prawase Wasi, the reform advocate, and
Anand Panyarachun, former premier. The groups demanded the
committee be set up formally by the government.

Supatra Masdit, the PM's Office minister who coordinated with
the groups and the PTT, pledged to pass documents on its
establishment to Mr Chuan for approval yesterday so it could
start work today. The panel was to have completed its task
within 10 days.

According to an aide to Khunying Supatra, the premier had yet
to approve the committee's establishment and appoint the
members.

"As far as I know, Khunying Supatra will meet the premier today
and submit the document. But I'm not sure Mr Chuan will sign it
immediately, so the committee may not start working tomorrow
as planned," said the aide.

Pibhop Dhongchai, a core leader of the groups, declined to
comment on the delay, saying criticism of the government or Mr
Chuan is useless as all parties are trying to cooperate for a
peaceful settlement.

"I don't mind if the process is delayed. It's the PTT, not us, who
will lose if the talks are postponed," he said.

The groups are blocking the PTT from laying the pipeline over a
stretch of about 2km in the section that runs through lush forest in
Thong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi. The blockade would continue
during the 10 days of talks.

The PTT was not available for comment about the committee
yesterday.

Mr Anand said he had agreed to chair the committee, which
would weigh the benefits of the project at local and national
levels and find ways to settle conflicts of this kind.

However, he wanted the PTT to stick to the terms and
conditions set in the contract it made with the consortium
counterpart which supplies gas from Burma.

According to the contract, the PTT has to complete the 260km
Thai section by July 2, the first delivery date. It claims failure to
do so would leave it liable to a fine set initially at 60 million baht
a day.