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dam-l LS: Answers by Assembly of the Poor to Accusations

Answers By The Assembly Of The Poor To Accusations. 

The Assembly of the Poor has sent out an open letter to clarify a number of
points. The following is an excerpt: 

1) On Egat's accusation that affected villagers are not suffering and
simply want more money. 

Over the past five years villagers have witnessed the disappearance of
fish, which has disrupted the traditional way of life. This led to our
demand that the government and Egat, which are responsible, demonstrate
their responsibility by opening the floodgates to allow fish to swim up and
lay eggs. This demand is based on the interests of the people of the
Northeastern region who depend on fish for protein. This will also restore
the natural ecological condition of the river. 

All of this clearly has nothing to do with money. 

2) Regarding the accusation that the protesters are not natives of Ubon
Ratchathani province. 

The Assembly of the Poor wishes to explain that its members comprise a
network of people who have been affected by various state development
projects that cover the entire nation. Back in 1997, when 20,000 to 30,000
people camped out in protest against the Chavalit administration, villagers
from 38 provinces who were affected by 121 projects were present. In the
ongoing Pak Mool protest, villagers affected by 12 dam projects gathered at
the site. All of these problems were made known to the Chuan administration
in 1997, but they have yet to be addressed. 

3) Regarding the accusation that no fish swim up the ladder because
affected villagers catch fish in front of the fish ladder. 

The fact has been stated simply by the recent World Commission on Dams
report, which revealed that over the last five years the number of fish has
decreased by around 60 to 80 per cent. The main factor is the dam, which is
a 200-to-300-metre-wide concrete wall blocking the river. The report also
stated that less than one out of 10 species managed to swim up the ladder
and lay eggs and most of those which made it up the ladder were only five
centimetres long. 

4) On the accusation that villagers who have been compensated for falling
fishery income are still protesting. 

Compensation paid to 4,000-plus households in cash amounted to about
Bt30,000 per family, while Bt60,000 was paid in the form of cooperative
stocks. The money was meant to be compensation for the three years it took
to construct the dam. During that time, the government and Egat assured the
public that when the dam was completed there would be more fish and people
would have a good life. The fact is that this is not the case. What is
more, the amount of electricity generated by the Pak Mool dam has been much
lower than expected, and it is no longer needed as Thailand has abundant
electricity reserves. 

5) Regarding the report that protesting villagers are not the original
group of protesters. 

The Assembly of the Poor wishes to clarify that the affected fishing
villagers are made up of two groups. The first comprises those who joined
the Assembly of the Poor's protest. The second consists of those who did
not join the protest in the beginning but who later came to the decision
that they needed to unite and fight for their rights, for their communities
and for the future of their children and grandchildren. 

We, the Assembly of the Poor, will continue our peaceful struggle until
justice is served. 

The Nation, May 28th, 2000

 
***********************************
Southeast Asia Rivers Network (SEARIN)
25/5 Moo 2 
Soi Sukhapiban 27
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Muang Chiang Mai 50300
Thailand
Tel&Fax (66) 53-221157
Email: searin@chmai.loxinfo.co.th