BKK Post, March 11, 1998 GAS PIPELI

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March 11, 1998
GAS PIPELINE PROTEST

Sulak arrest our initiative, claims PTT
Government has nothing to do with it
Chakrit Ridmontri

Fears about the politicisation of the arrest of social critic Sulak 
Sivaraksa prompted the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) to call an 
urgent press conference yesterday to defend its actions and the 
government.

PTT executives maintained that it was their own initiative to have Mr 
Sulak arrested and the government had nothing to do with it.

Suwanunt Chatiudompunth, senior vice president for planning, said the 
urgent press conference was aimed at preventing any attempt to link Mr 
Sulak'a arrest with current political manoeuvres by opposition parties 
which are planning a censure debate against the government next week.

"The government didn't order us to organise this press conference. We 
just don't want anybody to link the project's opposition to politics," 
he added.

In a rare public appearance, PTT's governor Pala Sukhawech said: "We 
don't want to take harsh action against Mr Sulak. We just pleaded with 
him to give us the forest area so we can continue laying the gas 
pipeline."

Mr Sulak moved into the forest last week after conservationist opponents 
terminated their month-long sit-in protest to block the pipeline laying 
through the lush Huey Khayeng forest in Kanchanaburi's Thong Pha Phum 
district.

The opponents agreed to end their protest action on condition that Prime 
Minister Chuan Leekpai appoint a public information panel to review the 
project details.

The panel chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun gave the 
project the go-ahead but suggested the PTT act quickly to alleviate the 
social and environmental impact. The opponents pulled out of their 
forest camp after Mr Chuan agreed with the conclusion and ordered the 
project to continue.

However, Mr Sulak refused to accept the panel's conclusion, saying it 
failed to address the issue of the oppression of Burmese ethnic 
minorities in Burma.

"It's not fair that Mr Sulak renewed the protest because he is the 
chairman of two organisations that vowed to call off the protest after 
premier Chuan has made a decision about the project," said Mr Pala.

Piti Yimprasert, president of the PTT Gas, expressed concern that Mr 
Sulak's opposition would have a negative impact on the PTT by arousing 
international pressure.

"I am relieved that Mr Sulak left the forest but worried that he would 
lodge a complaint against us at international institutions such as the 
International Monetary Fund," he said.

In its press release, the PTT claimed that it has followed up on the 
panel's recommendations to tackle problems involving affected villagers 
living along the pipeline route. It has so far dealt with 20 of the 76 
villagers.

The PTT is about to accomplish laying the 260-kilometer gas pipeline 
running from the border of Thailand and Burma at I-tong village in 
Kanchanaburi's Thong Pha Phum district to a gas power plant in 
Ratchaburi.

The six-kilometre section through lush Huay Khayeng forest remains the 
only section still incomplete because of the protest.

Mr Pala said laying the pipeline in this section is very costly because 
the pipeline would climb up a steep terrace. The construction company 
wanted from the PTT an additional 500 million baht for the extra cost in 
employing a special construction method to lay the pipeline on the 
mountain.

The PTT has to finish the gas pipeline by July 1, which is the date that 
the gas exploration consortium in Burma will deliver gas from Yadana 
field to the PTT.

However, it is uncertain whether the pipeline or gas power plant will be 
finished on time. 

Mr Pala said if the PTT or the Electricity Generating Authority of 
Thailand, which is in charge of building the gas power plant, missed the 
deadline for a few months, the PTT would not be liable for the stiff 
fine to the consortium as it could take delivery later in the year.

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