Police arrest social critic at pipe

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Police arrest social critic at pipeline site 
01:29 p.m Mar 06, 1998 Eastern 
BANGKOK, March 6 (Reuters) - Police on Friday arrested one of Thailand's
best-known social critics for obstructing the construction of a
controversial gas pipeline in the western border town of Kanchanaburi. 

Sulak Sivaraksa and 28 of his followers were removed from the site where he
had been camped out since Monday to protest against the building of the
pipeline, police said. 

Police removed all of the people from the area but arrested only Sulak
because he was the only one who had camped out and obstructed construction. 

``The charge is obstructing the work of state officials,'' a police officer
said. 

Last week Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai ordered the state-owned Petroleum
Authority of Thailand to go ahead with the pipeline which will transport
natural gas into Thailand from the border with Myanmar (Burma). The gas
originally comes from Myanmar's offshore Yadana field. 

Sulak began his solo protest, accompanied at times with supporters, shortly
after Chuan announced his decision on Saturday to have the PTT continue with
the pipeline. 

The pipeline had been delayed by protests from environmentalists who claimed
it would disrupt flora and fauna as part of the pipeline was due to run
through a forest and wildlife sanctuary. 

The PTT is responsible for the contract and pipeline laying must be
completed by July 1 or it would have to pay hefty penalties for delays. 

The operator of the Yadana field is Total SA, which has a 31.24 percent
stake, Unocal Corp with a 28.26 percent share, PTT Exploration and
Production Plc -- a unit of PTT -- with 25.5 percent and state-owned Myanma
Oil and Gas Enterprise with 15 percent. 

The Yadana project will initially provide 325 million cubic feet per day of
natural gas to Thailand in 1998.