Bangkok Post
June 14, 2000

The national committee charged with solving the Pak Moon dam crisis will meet Interior Minister Banyat Bantadtan today to discuss its plan to open the dam’s spillways for three months.

The meeting at Government House was postponed from yesterday because Mr Banyat had to attend the funeral of veteran politician Montri Pongpanich.

Committee chairman Banthorn On-dam would suggest to Mr Banyat that all the dam spillways be opened until the end of August to allow fish to spawn upstream.

Committee spokesman Anuchart Puangsamlee said the protesting villagers would also have to leave the structure’s car park.

The authorities would be asked to stop all activities which might be construed as intimidating the protesters.

“It is important that all legal cases against the protest leaders be dropped and the authorities stop all intimidating activities which may aggravate the villagers and harm the long-term solution.” He said the proposed measure was a short-term solution which would need to be assessed by a neutral working group. Long-term solutions to restore displaced communities and study the lessons from the dam were also proposed.

Mr Banthorn did not think the plan would be approved by the electricity generating authority, which runs the dam.

“The government has to convince Egat to accept it,” he said.

Senior Egat officials earlier disagreed with the proposal, saying the dam’s closure would be economically damaging.

Deputy Egat governor M.L. Chanabhandu Kridakara said losses could amount to 212 million baht in four months or 500 million baht for the year.

He was also concerned about what impact the low water level of the Moon river would have on the area’s fish farms. However, one panel member was assured that the fish farms would not be affected.

Protest leaders were satisfied with the proposal and were ready to co-operate with the government-appointed committee.

“It is a good start for a long-term solution. Besides, it should help avert a confrontation,” said Wanida Tantiwittayapitak, adviser of the Assembly of the Poor. Protest leader Thongcharoen Sihatham said the villagers would lift their siege if the government responded positively.

He said the protesting villagers would return to their make-shift homes in Mae Moon Man Yuen I on the opposite side of the dam compound. “We will fight to the end if the government ignores the resolution,” he said.

Prakob Wirojanagud, dean of engineering at Ubon Ratchathani University and a committee member, urged the government to take the solution seriously since it was the best way out of the deadlock.

The villagers at the Ubon Ratchathani dam site also complained that they were being intimidated by some 200 people who officials had assembled.

The incident happened when local residents rallied in front of the provincial hall on Monday to demand government action against the protestors, whose siege entered its 29th day yesterday.

The residents of three villages, who claim that they have been affected by the prolonged protest, said they would take matters into their own hands if the situation was not resolved.