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BKK Post, March 8, 1998. YADANA GA
- Subject: BKK Post, March 8, 1998. YADANA GA
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 09 Mar 1998 12:35:00
Bangkok Post March 8, 1998. YADANA GAS PIPELINE
Pipe dreams
Despite its many errors, the PTT
remains unpunished, it is proceeding
with the project and its mistakes remain
uncorrected.
SUPARA JANCHITFAH
On February 25, former prime minister Anand Panyarachun and
11 others sat in a row at Government House, facing the flash of
cameras. Reporters were there to question the public hearing
committee on its study of the Yadana gas pipeline project.
Although the panel did not recommend scrapping the project
outright or re-routing the pipeline, it was able to point out many
faults.
"The project's decision-making process has many weaknesses
and shortcomings," states the report. "It was not transparent."
"The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted
poorly: No public participation, insufficient public information but
lots of public relations that misled the public. The economic data
was incomplete and unclear."
"PTT has stressed the fact that it would have to pay a hefty fine if
the project is delayed." However, the report continued, in reality
the PTT will only forfeit the interest on a deposit with the
consortium, not at all a "hefty fine".
The committee's suggestions: The committee submitted a
number of recommendations, including:
*The government must urge the PTT to repair the homes of
villagers affected by the construction and compensate them
immediately.
*The creation of a sub-committee to monitor the environmental
impacts of the project.
*Improving laws related to the implementation of large-scale
projects.
*Future environmental assessments should be based on accurate
statistics.
*The public should have access to information about any
development project.
*The committee also recommended that the report be published
and distributed so that the public can learn from the mistakes
made by the PTT on this project.
Actions and reasons: Three days later, Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai decided that construction of the pipeline should go
ahead.
"In my opinion, the project cannot be scrapped. Eighty percent of
the construction has been completed. I have decided that the
project must continue," he said in Kanchanaburi on February 28.
On the same day, the Kanchanaburi Environmental Group and its
allies waited to discuss the problem with PM Chuan, but he failed
to show up at the protest site. He said he did not have enough
time.
"When we learned that PM Chuan would visit us here, we were
glad because we thought he wanted to get first-hand information,"
said Piphob Dhongchai, an adviser to the Kanchanaburi
Environmental Group.
Piphob believed that the Prime Minister was on a fact-finding trip
to equip himself with data necessary to make his decision.
"We thought that after reading the committee's report, the PM
would be curious to learn more about the project's impact."
But Piphob and his alliances were disappointed.
"I regret that PM Chuan again got only one side of the story, the
one provided by officials," said Piphob.
"How can Mr Chuan let the project go ahead despite the fact that
the project has many shortcomings? What about those starving
elephants?
"Maybe he has already decided and he did not expect the
committee to find as many flaws in the project as they did,"
Piphob added.
Although the Kanchanaburi Environmental Group and its allies
promised to end their protest at the forest site after PM Chuan
responded to the report, they vowed to continue to voice their
opposition to the project in other ways.
Early last week, the 16 chapters of the Confederation of Students
for Conservation staged another peaceful protest in front of
Government House. It was their 25th protest in the capital against
the pipeline.
"We are young; we want adults to set a standard of right and
wrong for us. Why is the prime minister allowing the project to
continue?" said Ms Penphan Intapante of Thammasat University.
Solo protest: When the Kanchanaburi Environmental Group
withdrew from the forest site, social critic Sulak Sivaraksa
emerged as a replacement.
"I did not agree with the idea of withdrawing from the forest
protest site since the very beginning."
The social critic explained his reasons. First, he said, "I don't
want selfless people such as Khun Boonsong and Phinun to feel
that injustice overcomes justice. I want society to be aware that
change can result from the actions of common people who
wholeheartedly care for the environment, such as these two."
Second, he said, doing business with the Burmese dictatorship is
unconscionable: "Enjoying wealth from other people's blood is
immoral."
Third, "If we let this project continue, it will prove that truth is not
important to Thai society," he argued. "The PTT has been
misleading the people. It lied about the fine it was supposed to
pay. And it cannot prove that gas from Yadana is cheaper than
from other sources. The Ratchaburi power plant cannot be
finished by July. Why must we pay 400 million dollars per year to
the Slorc government?
"The right kind of development maintains the balance of nature
and is consistent with human rights. This must be based on truths,
not lies."
Selective law: Another reason why PM Chuan said he decided
the PTT should continue the project was because, "The National
Environmental Board (NEB) had already approved the project."
The PTT also believes that they have always acted within the law.
(See sidebar.)
"But what about the consensus among the committee members
that the project's EIA was poorly carried out?" Piphob
countered.
"In our report, we stated clearly that we are not satisfied with the
Yadana project's EIA or the EIA process in general because it
lacks public participation. In addition, the information about the
forest and its wildlife is incomplete," said committee member Dr
Mingsarn Khaosa-ard of the Thailand Development Research
Institute (TDRI).
The committee proposed that the government improve laws
related to the decision-making process on large-scale projects.
Before implementation of such a project, a public hearing should
be held prior to its approval so that people can take voice their
opinion on development projects that may affect their lives and
their environment. Mr Panas Tassaneyanond, director of the
Environmental Law Centre commented that the proposals from
the committee are useful, but the question of who will actually act
on the proposals is the main concern. "Under Article 47 of the
previous constitution and Article 56, item two, of the present
constitution people can participate in the debate on projects and
activities that affect their livelihood.
"We are unlucky to have a government that is not concerned
about the environment. It struggles to keep its power rather than
do the right thing," said the lawyer and former CDA member.
"The PTT and the PM are so selective, they will refer to the laws
that benefit them only," the lawyer chuckled.
He believes that legal action must be taken in order to set a
precedent for the future. "Although going to court is a
time-consuming process, in order to set an example for society
legal solutions must be found," said the environmental lawyer.
Can a government learn?: Mr Piti Yimprasert of the PTT said
that if he could turn back time, he would do things differently.
However, his words contradicted his behaviour during the public
hearing, while testifying and while giving interviews.
"During the public hearing when we testified, his scornful smile
showed how arrogant he really is," said Phinun Chotiraseeranee,
Kanchanaburi Environmental Group leader. "He did not listen to
us, let alone respect our rights as citizens."
"I believe the public hearing was just a farce, a way for the PTT
to seek a legitimate way to continue an illegitimate project," said
Phinun.
When environmentalists asked why the pipe used on the project
was not as thick as the PTT had claimed in the EIA, the PTT
response was that the pipeline was "North American standard".
When environmentalists asked the PTT to manage its
construction to minimise the environmental impact, the PTT
offered to provide vocational training for the villagers.
"Vocational training is useful but it does not answer the issue of
environmental impact," said Boonsong Chansongrasamee,
another Kanchanaburi environmental group leader.
The PTT explained that it is not doing business with the Burmese
but with the consortium companies.
"How can the consortium do its business without consent from
the Burmese government?" Boonsong asked.
In most large-scale projects, the EIA is seen as the "passport" to
implementation. But in the case of the Yadana pipeline, said Dr
Mingsarn of the public hearing committee, the EIA was full of
holes.
Locals wonder how can the project continue despite its flaws.
Phinum is worried what message this will send to the people.
"Now people do not distinguish between right and wrong. This
project is being allowed to continue simply because 80% of it is
done.
"If you kill a person and then you say that he's dead and you
couldn't wake him up, is there no need to punish you?" Phinun
asked.
Same old mechanisms: The public hearing committee's
recommendations were passed to the Ministry of Industry by PM
Chuan. But now, in Dan Makam Tia district, the PTT continues
its work.
"The PTT is continuing as before. There is no proper
compensation and no discussion. They are now trying to use a
'divide-and-conquer' strategy on us," said Duangjai
Navathammapichet, whose village lies in the path of the pipeline.
"The government is not monitoring the construction work or the
environmental impact of the work. PTT officials are selective. The
prime minister allowed the project to continue, but why don't they
take the recommendations into account?"
When asked what was being done about the environmental
impact of the project, the PTT's Dr Songkiert Tamsamrithe told
Sunday Perspec tive, "I submitted a letter to the Kanchanburi
governor to order the Forestry Department to prevent forest
encroachment on March 6."
As for who is responsible for the establishment of the
sub-committee as recommended by the Anand panel, Dr
Songkiert once again "passed the buck".
"The sub-committee has not been set up yet," he said. "We are
still waiting for an official order from PM Chuan."
Dr Songkiert said the "proper channel" would be to contact
Khunying Supatra Masdit, Minister of the Office of the Prime
Minister.
Her response? Khunying Supatra explained that in fact she and
the prime minister have nothing to do with the project, that it is in
the hands of the Ministry of Interior.
And the less-than-transparent actions of the PTT?
"I have already told the PTT that under the new constitution it can
no longer act this way. Actually this is a kind of reprimand
already. It has been recorded in history."