In another move that makes many question his leadership, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday set up a panel to look into disputes over the controversial Chana industrial estate project, planned to be built in Songkhla province.
The prime minister was quoted as saying he wanted the panel, which is under Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow, to focus on all the contentious issues and gather input from affected locals. Yet, quite a few people see the move as a way to pacify those who were recently rounded up by riot police in what was seen as excessive use of force.
There have been doubts if Gen Prayut sincerely wants to end this long-standing problem or if it's just another trick to buy time in the hope that the project's opponents, who are currently camping out in front of the UN building in Bangkok, will be exhausted.
Gen Prayut this week tore up a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last December by then deputy agriculture minister Capt Thamanat Prompow -- who he assigned to handle hot issues -- and Chana villagers. The MoU included the agreement that the project would be suspended pending a strategical environmental assessment (SEA) study that made the villagers believe that the problem would be properly taken care of.
Now Gen Prayut has refused to recognise the MoU, and he's now trying to solve the problem by appointing one panel after another. But the reality on the ground is different and the Chana project seems to have moved on with a life of its own. This coming Monday, the developer, TPI Polene Power, will organise a series of public Zoom hearings on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA) that need to be done.
The government must reexamine the project and make all processes involved transparent and legally acceptable. It has been riddled with scandals, allegations and rumours such as a contentious town planning change that will transform agricultural areas into an industrial zone and disquiet over how families close to Nipon Boonyamanee, deputy interior minister, acquired large amounts of land that was later sold to the project developer.
Chana opponents have complained about the use of state mechanisms such as the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPC) and local agencies to mobilise project proponents so as to give the impression that the controversial project is well received by locals. This use of what appears to be a number game has only deepened local conflicts. Critics have likewise questioned whether the industrial estate project, including deep-sea ports and power plants, would bring prosperity and sustainability to the area with deep-sea ports creating environmental issues and threatening the livelihood of small-scale fishing communities. Meanwhile, new power plants for the project likewise seem unnecessary as the country is already awash with energy reserves.
It's necessary that the opponents' demand for a SEA, a comprehensive process that can lead to a conclusion about what is really best for Chana, must be responded to constructively.
If the prime minister is really sincere he needs to show it by delaying all processes, particularly the public hearing by the developer. He has to provide support to the Supattanapong panel, encouraging it to incorporate representatives from the project opponents, to ensure transparency and fairness. There are no reasons for haste. What is needed urgently is a real, inclusive dialogue.
