Thailand: Coal plant protest ends, leaders released

Thailand: Coal plant protest ends, leaders released

Five leaders of the protest against the planned coal-fired power plant in
Krabi province have been released and demonstrators dispersed after the
government agreed to renew the project's environmental impact assessment and
the environmental health impact assessment.

Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said this came after talks
between representatives of the government and core leaders and coordinators
of the Save the Andaman from Coal group who had submitted a proposal to the
government.

The proposal and information from the protest leaders were forwarded to
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Energy Minister Anantaporn Kanjanarat
for consideration.

The proposal of the protesters was subsequently agreed on by the government.

Under the agreement, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand would
be instructed to start over again with the EIA and EHIA studies. The studies
must be conducted with transparency and true participation by local people
under the supervision of a tri-partite committee.

"Initially, the agreement will be forwarded to the cabinet meeting on Feb 21
for acknowledgement. It should be made clear that the government is
concerned about the people. However, the plan to increase power production
capacity along the Andaman coast will have to continue," the spokesman said.

Prasitthichai Nunual, one of the key coordinators of Save the Andaman from
Coal, said the talks with the government representatives went smoothly. The
protest leaders had been well looked after and the government had agreed to
their proposals.

He declared an end to the protest, saying that protesters were set to return
to their home province on Sunday. He said police would provide them with
transport as well as food and water.

Mr Prasitthichai was one of the five protest leaders who were arrested on
Saturday and had been detained by the authorities.

Mr Prasitthichai, ML Rungkhun Kitiyakara and Akkaradet Chakchinda were
arrested at 9.30am at the Office of the Civil Service Commission.

Two other leaders - Banjong Nasae, president of Thai Sea Watch Association,
and Thatpong Kaedum, a local community rights activist - were taken away in
the afternoon.

They were detained at the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok for questioning.

The five were brought to the protest site by Government House on Phitsanulok
Road and released at about 11am on Sunday. They were accompanied by Lt Gen
Apirat Kongsompong, commander of the 1st Army, and Pol Gen Chakthip
Chaijinda, the police chief.

Mr Prasitthichai then declared the end of the protest.

Wiwat Chancherngpanich, Egat deputy governor for power plant development,
said it would take at least six months for Egat to conduct the EIA and EHIA
studies, after which the results would be forwarded to the cabinet for
approval.

He expected the Krabi coal-fired power plant contract signing at the end of
this year or early next year.

The protest began on Friday after the National Energy Policy Committee
(NEPC), chaired by Gen Prayut, gave the nod to the construction of the
800-megawatt plant to be sited in Krabi's Nua Khlong district.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1201240/coal-plant-protest-ends-lea
ders-released

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com