Press Release*

Thailand Reform Forum #3

Martial Law and the Management of Natural Resources and the Environment: The case of mining in Thailand

Tuesday 23 September 2014

The Culture of People’s Participation Threatened by Martial Law

The management of natural resources and the environment including mining in Thailand has been monopolized by the Thai state which controls mining policy and decision makings in mining licensing and concession. It has given rise to violations of community rights and the rights of people living close to the mining sites. Even though the 2007 Constitution has been revoked, but the principle of community rights continues to be provided for by Section 4 of the currently applicable 2014 Interim Constitution. The government, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and concerned state agencies are obliged to act in compliance with it. Previously, villagers and community have mobilized together to pressure and accomplished in their demand for the installment of mechanisms to investigate the impacts. Conceding to the demand, the state, government officials and entrepreneurs have set up committees at the provincial and national levels to carry out an inquiry into the problem. But the whole process has crumbled as a result of the imposition of Martial Law. Decisions have arbitrarily been made to grant concessions without heeding the previous agreement made with the villagers and other process including public participation. อ่านต่อ