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BKK Post, February 27, 1998 GAS PIP



February 27, 1998
GAS PIPELINE PROJECT

Sulak threatens to stage protest
Chuan 'will allow project to go ahead'
Chakrit Ridmontri

Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa yesterday vowed to stage a solo protest 
against the Thai-Burmese gas pipeline project if Prime Minister Chuan 
Leekpai gives it the go-ahead.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Supatra Masdit said Mr Chuan would 
allow the project to go ahead while trying to sort out relevant problems 
at the same time.

Failure of a public information panel chaired by ex-premier Anand 
Panyarachun to make recommendations about a link between the project and 
Burma's suppression of ethnic minorities has prompted Mr Sulak to renew 
his opposition to the Petroleum Authority of Thailand project.

"If Mr Chuan insists on giving the PTT the green light to continue 
laying the pipeline, I will protest against the project in the forest 
alone," declared Mr Sulak.

Mr Chuan had appointed the Anand panel to sort out differences between 
the PTT and non-government organisations, human rights and grassroots 
groups opposing the project.

The panel concluded on Wednesday the PTT was "not transparent" in its 
implementation of the project and recommended that the government act 
quickly to alleviate social and environmental effects of the project.

But it declined to deal with human rights abuse allegations and 
arguments that the project is unnecessary at the time of an economic 
crunch, saying the issues were beyond its mandate.

"The panellists are like the PTT. They are lying," Mr Sulak said. "They 
did not talk about the killing of Mons in Burma to pave the way for the 
pipeline.

"About the elephants, they say nothing. The only recommendation on the 
elephant issue is buying bananas to feed them if their food source is 
damaged," he said.

Other opponents seem satisfied with the panel's conclusions and have 
pledged to end their sit-in protest blocking the pipeline route in the 
forest as soon as Mr Chuan responded to the panel's conclusions.

But Mr Sulak accused Mr Anand of having a pre-determined position from 
the beginning that the project must go ahead.

He noted the panel's report first condemned the PTT but then concluded 
it should continue what Mr Sulak called "the bloodstained project".

"If you have studied in England you would know that if the judge 
strongly rebukes the defendant, it means he would let the defendant go. 
It is the same way Mr Anand wrote the report," he said.

"During the hearing, you would see that if someone accused the PTT of 
lying, the chairman would ask that person to withdraw his words," he 
said.

According to Mr Sulak, the opponents had proposed the panel make 
conclusions for four options - what the consequences would be if the 
project is revoked, rerouted, delayed or continued. But the panel had 
considered only the fourth option.

"The panellists are just bureaucrats in an ivory tower. Yes, they are 
nice people but unfortunately they have no self-respect. They have been 
moulded by the bureaucratic system, the ultimate goal of which is to win 
and rule over ordinary people."

Mrs Supatra said a sub-committee was likely to be set up to make an 
environment impact assessment when the prime minister completed his 
reading of the panel report.

The sub-committee would come under the National Environment Board 
chaired by the prime minister himself, she said.

It would have more members from the private sector than the government 
sector, she added.

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