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Published on December 21, 2007

There are 1.3 billion Chinese but they still emit less CO2 than 300 million Americans. The United States is still refusing to decrease its share of pollutants released into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, hundreds of ineffective power plants were shut down and replaced by new, more energy efficient plants in China recently.

Prasan Stianrapapongs

Chon Buri

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PTT privatisation was a massive rort

The legal case concerning the listing of PTT on the Stock Exchange of Thailand provides a good lesson for future privatisation of state enterprises.

The PTT privatisation made a few people, out of tens of millions of Thais, millionaires overnight. Some families could be richer by hundreds of millions of baht, without having to pay tax. The privatisation was controversial from the start. Why have they privatised a hugely profitable enterprise and left the unprofitable ones as burdens for the public? How was the price of shares set so low that those who were privileged to subscribe made millions of baht?

Maybe the securities companies that helped list PTT can give some explanation. This could be a case study for students of corporate finance. How could the shares be fully subscribed within a few minutes? In the UK, when they privatised state enterprises, every family had the opportunity to get a small number of shares and make a small profit. Here in Thailand, some people bought the shares at Bt35 to make more than Bt200 profit overnight. Some even bought at Bt10. I wonder if any farmer profited from this. A white paper should be prepared to give all the facts to those who paid tax to create this enterprise and got nothing from its listing.

We should give credit to the Consumers Foundation for its efforts to return some assets to the public. No politician has commented on this issue yet.

Prichar

Bangkok

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Murder of refugee must be investigated now

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding an alleged extra-judicial killing on Saturday by security personnel at Refugee Camp 1 in Ban Kwai/Nain Soi, in Mae Hong Song province, where about 20,000 Karenni Burmese refugees are taking refuge.

It was reported that camp security personnel opened fire on peaceful refugee student demonstrators and killed a student and wounded another. They were demonstrating because of long-term bullying and abuses by the camp authorities. The death spurred angry refugees to destroy camp guards' property.

According to witnesses, while the students were enjoying a concert on the night of the 14th, one of them was bullied, strangled and beaten up by the authorities. On the 15th, in addition to more bullying, the authorities fired guns into the air to frighten the people. One elderly person suffered severe shock and died.

Peaceful demonstration is no justification for extra-judicial killing. Authorities have the power to bring miscreants to court, and to dispense justice in an open and fair trial after considering all the facts and circumstances - if there is a case to answer.

When those in authority misuse power and are condoned, bullying can lead to sexual harassment and rape. There have been many such cases. Justice should be dispensed with an even hand and I am sure that in a country where the rule of law prevails, this is the desire of the people.

I request that the higher authorities hold an immediate impartial investigation into the incident mentioned above.  No one should underestimate the refugees' pain. In order that the criminal justice system in Thailand not be tarnished, every effort should be made to conduct a fair and open trial and protection granted to refugee witnesses so that such disgraceful events are not a daily occurrence.

This case also reveals the existence of a structural conflict and oppressive management culture in the camp between the refugees and the authorities. To avoid such a miserable atmosphere and fatal conflicts, the best solution would be to move the camp guards' residential and office buildings out of the middle of the camp to the outside, and to restore a system of camp management through refugee representative committees. Refugee camps should be a place of refuge.

Sann Aung

Bangkok

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Some other relevant facts on big Lao dam

Re: "Let's stick to the facts on the Nam Theun 2 Dam", Letters, December 19.

In his letter, the World Bank's communication adviser Peter Stephens stated the "facts" about the Nam Theun 2 Dam, currently under construction in Laos. His facts suggested a huge economic boost for Laos and improved services for people who are relocated. The World Bank claims it is involved in the project for the benefit of the people: "ultimately it is the people's lives we are seeking to improve". But there are crucial facts missing from this letter about the reality of poverty alleviation in Laos.

The mandate of the World Bank is economic development. Its practices over the decades have proven that its priority is economic benefit for elite segments of society. If the Nam Theun 2 Dam goes as planned, it will generate an estimated US$2 billion dollars for the Lao government over the next 25 years. Without an explicit focus on benefits for affected people, "trickle down" economics do not work, especially in impoverished nations such as Laos.

The economic benefits of the dam will flow through the Lao government, one of the last remaining communist states where public opposition is forbidden. Non-democratic states do not represent nor respond to the desires of the people.

The Lao government is responsible for improving the lives of its people. According to the World Bank, over 6,000 people who have been relocated to make way for the dam now enjoy clean water, toilets and schools. But the thousands of others indirectly affected must fend for themselves. The Lao government has failed to provide these basic rights to its citizens. The panel of experts the World Bank commissioned to advise on the project has not taken into account ethnic differences of the people affected and the fact development affects minorities differently and often serves to disadvantage them further.

The Lao government's poverty reduction projects so far have involved forcefully relocating and amalgamating villages as a fast fix to provide services such as clean water and basic health. Villagers are forced to engage in a new type of agriculture they are unfamiliar with and receive minimal or no assistance to learn new techniques. Different communities are forced to fight for limited resources, causing ethnic tensions and conflict that previously did not exist. The stress of relocation has increased mortality rates to up to 70 per cent. Resettlement programmes have been criticised for forcing assimilation on these indigenous and ethnic minority communities. This is Lao poverty reduction.

The World Bank needs to stick to the real facts about its policy support in Laos. The basic fact is hydroelectric power is in huge demand, and Laos has rivers it can utilise. The affects on people's lives are a side concern, not a priority. A human-rights-based approach to development must be at the forefront of development initiatives, particularly the "free, prior and informed consent" of affected communities.

Ordering people to relocate without fair compensation or the ability to decide the fate of their communities will not improve the lives of the Lao people.

Laura

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development

Bangkok

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