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dam-l Message from Pak Mun



The latest action at Pak Mun. 

"Chaya Mongkala", the auspicious victory, is the name of latest activity at
Pak Mun in non-violent form. 

A fight for general people is that there will be the winner who being
haughty and fearing for the retaliation from the loser, who suffering from
the exasperation.

For Assembly of the Poor (AOP), we have been lessened that the benignity is
the most important in any protest. Then the government maybe repents and
agrees to our demands. And that why we have named this non-violent action
to be the "Chaya Mongkala".

Our tactics certainly adhere to the new constitution. All affected
villagers numbered to 5,000 persons started this action with offering their
petition to the sheriff of Khongcheum district in Ubon Ratchathani province
on September 13,1999 and send it on to the Prime Minister.

On that day, the peoples grouped together by each village and line up
orderly. After the ceremony of Buddhist conducted by Mr.Boonchoo Sawisa,
the leader of affected people from Lam Dom Yai Dam Project, the monks
preached about the meaning of "Chaya Mongkala".

Later, the commander team clarified the act direction, holding to truth,
love and patience, and prayed together. After that, they sang the march of
Assembly of the Poor and declared the statement before the hero of the poor
monument.

Then, these villagers moved on by more than 80 carriages to Khongcheum
district in the afternoon and started the demonstration at Koohasawan
Monastery. They launched forth with colorful banners. They pressed on to
the office of Khongcheum district as it was raining. Most of them was
staying behind there willingly, even some old man and children were
stopping off the building. Till the rain stopped, they went on praying
again. As the sheriff came forward and clarified that he couldn't accept
the petition today because of no copier-machine. Besides, he explained away
the fact that Khongcheum is just a small area, which the government doesn't
pay attention much. However the sheriff promised to ask the provincial
office for accommodation this issue. The people felt for him in his
disheartenment and put the declaration off to be on September 15,1999 and
went back to Mae Mun Man Yuan Village at the dam site.

At Mae Mun Man Yuan Village,  the villagers commented on the situation at
Narmada and agree on that Narmada people should be participated in any
government projects to manage natural resources and the government must
give out the liberty to rally and to recommend by the affected people.

Moreover, in Front of the Mae Mun Man Yuan village, the villagers have
installed the banners of "FREE NARMADA RIVER FOR LOCAL PEOPLE" and "JOY TO
US PRAY FOR PEACE EVERYDAY AT TIME 07.00 PM" to pray for the People at Narmada.