Villagers up in arms against dam

The villagers said they would schedule a trip to Bangkok after today's election for senators.

The Kaeng Sua Ten Dam project, which was planned then stalled for more than a decade by strong opposition from villagers and environmentalists, was resurrected recently by Samak, who vowed to push the project as a measure to prevent flooding and drought in the lower North.

The villagers said the dam's reservoir would submerge the last big golden teak jungle in the country and would not help stop inundation. Seng Kwanyeun, headman of Ban Donchai village in tambon Sa-ieab, said the community would fight against the project with all its might to preserve the teak forest.

Prasitthiporn Karn-onsri, a member of the Ban Donchai council, said if the government did not recognise the villagers' pleas, a huge demonstration would be organised with the Assembly of the Poor and the Northern Farmers Federation.

"If the premier insists on going ahead with the project, the government should prepare for a mass rally. Not only do we want to protect the ecosystem, we are also afraid that the dam will activate a fault, as the area designated to be the dam site is close to the Phrae fault line," he said.

The Nation

PHRAE