NLA approves draft of Energy Industrial Bill

The NLA met to consider the draft bill, which had earlier been approved by an NLA special committee.

Sairung Thongpon from the special committee's minority side proposed at the meeting that the Article 134 be removed because the word "obstructing" could be interpreted in many ways, making people unable to even hold a peaceful gathering in protest. The Article says that anyone obstructing energy operations which have obtained a state license shall face up to sixmonths in jail or Bt10,000 in fine.

The panel member said that peaceful movements were already allowed by the constitution and that violent protests could be controlled under the Criminal Law, so there really was no need for a stipulation against "obstruction" in the bill.

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand, however, said the energy industry was concerned with national security and therefore any obstructions would affect the public, which is why the Article was included in the bill in the first place.

"Suppose we had a 3,000megawatt power plant to build, but due to obstruction there was a blackout in 15 provinces. What would we do then?" he questioned.

However, after the meeting many NLA members spoke in support of Sairung, including Praphan Khunmee, Gothom Areeya and Wallop Tangkananurak. Therefore, Somchai Sawaengkarn from the special committee's majority agreed to remove the article in question.

The 104 NLA members at the meeting cast votes on the draft bill, which resulted in 100 yeas, two nays and two abstentions.

In related news, a meeting clarifying questions about a coalfired power plant in a Bang Kaew Beach village in Samut Songkhram's Muang district was held yesterday morning at the provincial administrative organisation's conference hall. Apart from related agencies, 1,400 members of the public joined the meeting, which was presided over by Samut Songkhram governor Opas Sawetmanee.

Opas said that 7,000 participants at the September 5 public hearing had unanimously agreed that they did not want the power plant, which they feared would pollute the environment and disrupt their way of life. However rumours had it that the project developer, Loxley, and its partner continued bidding for the project at the Energy Policy and Planning Office, leading to confusion among local residents and possibly another protest, he said. Therefore, he said, the Energy Policy and Planning Office had arranged a meeting with the residents to explain.

At the meeting, the office's representative Samerjai Suksumet insisted that his office had complied with the law in studying the project's impact and since there were no laws supporting action on the project, it would be left up to the Natural Resources and Environment Department.

This statement upset the people at the meeting, but Opas calmed things down by saying that Samerjai should not be making claims, but regard this matter as a serious issue.

Complaining that Samerjai's boss obviously did not consider the issue important enough because he had sent a "substitute boxer" in his place, Opas insisted that the power plant could not be built because the locals did not want it, before closing the meeting to loud applause.