Gunman tries to kill steel mill opponent

Supot Songsieng, leader of Mae Rum Peung Conservation Group, said he escaped an attempt on his life when an unidentified gunman sprayed bullets into his home early yesterday.

"It could not be for any other reason except my role in protesting against the steel mill," he said.

Supot said he had just arrived home after lodging a complaint against the mill plan to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning in Bangkok.

While heading for Bangkok earlier, he said his group was also attacked by unknown persons. They had laid spikes on the road to block buses carrying them and damaged four vehicles.

Baan Mae Rum Peung in Bang Saphan district is the designated site for the mill by Sahaviriya, a steel company.

Villagers have opposed the project for fear of environmental pollution and danger to their health. The situation became tense when villagers vowed to fight the mill while the company and its supporters vowed to push ahead.

Early this year, there was a clash between the two sides, leaving one fatality and 10 people sustaining injuries.

Tension also rose at Mae Moh, Lampang, where thousands of people had suffered sulphur dioxide poisoning from a coal-fired power plant operated by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for more than 10 years.

Affected villagers plan to rally in front of the provincial hall today, urging the allocation of a budget to cover treatment for health problems.

Prasai Pukphant, leader of Mae Moh Patients' Rights Group, said the Energy Ministry two years ago approved spending Bt300 million a year to cover health treatment. However, the money had allegedly been used by a provincial committee, chaired by Lampang's governor, for other activities such as an employment scheme.

Paisal said if the governor failed to provide satisfactory answers to the villagers, he and another 200 villagers would hold a rally in Bangkok to make their voice heard by the government.