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dam-l LS: Activists demand halt to all ADB loans

Bangkok Post May 5, 2000 - Activists demand halt to all loans


http://www.bangkokpost.net/today/050500_News07.html

Activists demand halt to all loans

Sunday deadline set for clear response

Ploenpote Atthakor and Saritdet Marukatat in Chiang Mai

A major protest against the Asian Development Bank is looming as
non-governmental organisations have demanded it stop all loans to the
government and give a clear reply by Sunday.
Activists rally outside a Chiang Mai hotel to attract public attention to
their campaign against the holding of the 33rd annual meeting of the Asian
Development Bank from May 6-8. _ JETJARAS NA RANONG 

In a four-point demand, the People Organisations Network also called on the
bank to cancel the agriculture sector reform loan, all conditionalities
under the social reform programme, and to scrap the Klong Dan water
treatment project in Samut Prakan.

The network called on the bank, which begins its 33rd annual meeting
tomorrow, to consider the demands not later than 4pm on that day, and to
respond to them by noon on Sunday or face massive protest demonstrations
across the country. The Manila-based bank's annual meeting ends on Monday.

The network also said the government's attempt to link anti-ADB activities
to acts of violence and terrorism was aimed at justifying use of force
against activists and villagers protesting against bank-funded projects.

A source in the network said all government agencies had projected a
negative image of the people's activities by saying they might lead to
violence, and linking them to international terrorism.

"This is to legitimise use of violence against demonstrators in case there
is a clash," the source claimed.

The source maintained villagers who joined the gathering were suffering
from the negative impacts of bank-funded projects, adding it was imperative
the government and the bank look into the real problems.

The government must not allow international financial institutions to steal
or exploit the country's natural resources, he said.

The ADB must give a clear answer to the network's demands within the
deadline or face massive protests, he added.

Within hours of the network's announcement of its demands, three senior ADB
officials met some 200 villagers from Samut Prakan for about two hours and
promised to look into their allegations the bank-funded waste water
treatment plant at Klong Dan had caused environmental problems and opened
up opportunities for corruption.

Cinnamon Dornsife, the bank's executive director for the United States,
promised to forward the villagers' allegations to a senior management
meeting today.

"We are moved by your presence and will take seriously the issues you
brought to our attention," she said.

Ms Dornsife and her two colleagues agreed the project had violated ADB
policy on environmental protection, good governance and poverty reduction.

She pointed out the Bank had an inspection mechanism and urged villagers to
use it.

Uwe Heinrich, executive director for Germany, Australia and Turkey,
welcomed the turn-out of villagers but pointed out such a show of concern
should have come at the planning stage of the project.

The villagers are unhappy the plant site has been relocated to a green area
without any environmental impact assessment. The plant initially was
located at Bang Poo and Bang Plakod They also alleged corruption in the
purchase of land at the new site in Klong Dan.

The villagers demanded the bank stop disbursement of loans for the project.
The bank has agreed to extend a seven billion baht towards the 20
-billion-baht project that is also being financed by the government,
Japan's Overseas Economic Co-operation Fund (OECF) and the Environment Fund.



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Aviva Imhof
South-East Asia Campaigner
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94703 USA
Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 (ext. 312), Fax: + 1 510 848 1008
Email: aviva@irn.org, Web: http://www.irn.org
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