• 
• 
• 

 

 "It's the development at the expense of rural lives and natural resources," the network said in a statement handed out yesterday by Kittipop Suthisawang, a coordinator of the network on impacts of public policies and a leader of the network against Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline.

 Kittipop said that the network in the South is inspired by the success of people in Rayong in winning the Administrative Court's support to turn Map Ta Phut into a pollution-control area. Facts from the people told society that the country cannot solely focus on economic growth and neglect local health problems and natural resources.

 "The Map Ta Phut case is a new standard to tackle Thailand's environmental problems," he said.

 In the 3-points statement, the network in the South also demanded the National Environment Board to immediately designate Map Ta Phut and nearby areas as the pollution-control area.

 The Abhisit government must also take urgent actions to control, reduce and tackle pollution, without fears that this would affect foreign investment. Investors have cultivated huge benefits and left the Rayong people to suffer from pollution problems, he said.

Related agencies must take responsibility for the pollution problems, rather than buying time through an appeal which would lead to uncontrollable damage the environment and quality of life, he added.