Published on November 16, 2005

Anti-privatisation protesters yesterday hailed a court injunction against the Egat’s initial public offering until the completion of a judicial review on the matter.

“The Supreme Administrative Court has proven a reliable organisation whenever people have sought its help to dispense justice,” activist Rosana Tositrakul said.

Rosana was one of 11 complainants in the administrative suit contesting the privatisation of Egat. She said the suspension of Egat’s IPO was an encouraging sign in the fight against privatisation.

She vowed to continue to expose suspected irregularities that the government tried to suppress while rushing to privatise state enterprises. “The government has overestimated its power when dealing with civic society,” former charter writer Kanin Boonsuwan said.

The anti-privatisation movement aims to conserve national assets while the government is determined to secure short-term financial gains by liquidating assets bequeathed to us by earlier generations, he said.

Labour leader Pien Yongnu urged the government to review its privatisation policy, saying the court injunction should serve as a wake-up call to heed the people’s aspiration. “The government should reconsider [its policies] before it is too late,” he said. “Many anti-privatisation protests are in the offing, beginning Friday, to demand a referendum on the matter.”

Thai Rak Thai Party spokesman Sita Divari said after the party meeting that the privatisation of Egat had been started under the previous Democrat administration. Chuan Leekpai, the prime minister at that time, declared his policies to Parliament on November 20, 1997, to promote competition in energy businesses through privatisation.

Now that the Democrats are no longer the government, they have had a political change of heart, Sita charged.

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Sidebar headline

Eleven plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against Egat’s public offering

1. Foundation for Consumers

2. Rosana Tositrakul

3. Sairung Tongplon

4. Suriyasai Katasila

5. Sirichai Mai-ngam

6. Jirapha Chantarak

7. Sajin Prachasant

8. Inthira Rojwattana

9. Kamolpan Chewapansri

10. Y Ying Sittavipula

11. Thana Woraphot

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