A noisy hawk versus three 'stupid' peacocks

It's all because the prime minister has shot himself in the foot again. It was supposed to be his World Environment Day speech. But Samak took the opportunity to hit out at NGOs that had opposed the long simmering, controversial Kaeng Sua Ten Dam project in the northern province of Phrae.

The premier claimed that there were fewer than 50,000 trees and only "three stupid peacocks" left in the area. In fact, he even stuck his neck out to declare that building the dam could reduce the effects of global warming.

Not surprisingly, as was his wont, Samak didn't feel compelled to back up his seemingly "solid theory" with any scientific or research work.

No doubt, startled academics were quick to point out that the premier was ill informed about the environmental impact of the dam project and that numerous studies had been conducted on the scheme and most experts on the environment are against the project.

Around 300 villagers at Phrae's Song District immediately staged a protest against Samak and issued a no-nonsense challenge:

Launch a real survey of the area to determine who's right and who's wrong. If there were less than 50,000 teak trees in the area, the villagers were willing to back down and let the dam construction proceed. On the other hand, if an objective study, to be carried out by a neutral party, found more than 50,000 teak trees in the disputed area, Samak will have to stop talking about building Kaeng Sua Ten Dam for the rest of his life. Or quit the premiership once and for all.

Samak has been uncharacteristically quiet about the challenge from the villagers who have been angered by what they called the premier's "preposterous, outrageous statement" that building dams would solve global warming problems.

Why hasn't the premier taken up the challenge? He probably has come to realise, belatedly, that he was ill advised. Here is a politician who has never been shy about pouring forth "facts and statistics" on controversial issues to prove his critics wrong.

But, more often than not, his so-called "facts" are at best one-sided, and at worst, half-truths that quite often come back to haunt him - especially when he is confronted with some real knowledgeable opponents on sensitive issues.

Samak, always the "political hawk" who believes that his trademark conservatism will ensure his electoral victory, is now trapped. His stand against all things liberal and progressive - be it the environment, human rights, press freedom and participatory democracy  - has inevitably pitted him against civil society as a whole. He isn't unaware of the fact that his ultra-right stance on issues related to the freedom of expression against the powers-that-be is one of the main reasons why he is seen as a prime minister who can never put the country back on the path of reconciliation.

Samak prides himself of the fact that he is a firm believer in the slogan that while it's not easy to find real friends in his political life, there are in fact "permanent enemies" in politics.

And now those at the receiving end of his outright enmity are fighting back, challenging him to justify his often-unfounded hostility.

This noisy hawk will have toshow he has the guts to confront what he described as "stupid" peacocks in the jungle of Kaeng Sua Ten in Phrae province - or lose all of any remaining credibility he may have as the country's leader.

Whether he realises it or not, the tough talking and unbending Samak has met his nemesis.

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