June 13, 2000

Mr. Tadao Chino
President
Asian Development Bank

Dear Mr. Chino,

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided loans amounting to 22,000 million baht to the Government of Thailand for the structural adjustment of the country’s agriculture sector, and has provided numerous other loans, through which the ADB imposes conditions that will have enormous impacts on the people of Thailand, including farmers, labourers, students, and the poor

During the ADB’s 33rd Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 6-9 May 2000, the People’s Network of 38 Organisations demanded that the ADB consider the following four points:

1.The ADB must stop all loans to Thailand

2.The ADB must cancel the Agriculture Sector Loan to Thailand.

3.Cancel loan conditions that force the Government of Thailand
to impose structural adjustment on Thai society.

4.Cancel the Klong Daan Wastewater Treatment Project in Samut
Prakarn province.

According to the letter from President Chino of ADB, in response to the demands of the People’s Network, “we assured you that the names and contact information for key ADB staff responsible for directly addressing your concerns would be provided to you. We have also instructed staff to provide written responses and detailed information by 30 May 2000. Some of them will meet with representatives of affected people in project areas in June 2000.” (Emphasis added by author)

We the People’s Network of 38 Organisations view the ADB’s response as mere lip service and superficial, a response that aims to deceive the people of Thailand and people around the world by portraying the ADB as appearing to take the demands seriously. But in reality, the ADB views the people’s “concerns” as simply unimportant. The ADB has not provided any response.

For the final time, we the People’s Network of 38 Organisations state that the demands of the People’s Network are not the “concerns” as the ADB claims but are demands to which the ADB must respond immediately. We continue to insist that we oppose the ADB in principle and will take action in response to all activities of the ADB that cause impacts on Thai society.

We see the disasters caused by ADB funding and loan conditions that cause severe impacts on poor people, farmers, labourers, and the resources of the country. It is not possible for us to accept these conditions and we will initiate an international campaign to alert the people of the world of the evil for which the ADB is responsible.

We demand of the ADB, for the final time, to respond to our demands immediately. If the ADB is not able to respond to these demands, the ADB must leave Thailand as soon as possible.

We inform the ADB of our position and condemn the ADB.

Yours truly,

Weerapol Sopha
Representative
People’s Network of 38 Organisations
Prasittiporn Kan-Onsri [NOI]
Friends of the People [FOP.]
99 , 3rd Floor Nakorn Sawan Road
Pomprab Bangkok 10100.
THAILAND.
Tel, Fax ; (662) 2811916 , 2812595
email ; fopthai@asiaaccess.net.th ; fopthai@hotmail.com

Read PI’s forward to this letter.