miles de personas protestan contra el TLC con Estados Unidos (10/1/2006)

Thai villagers affected by WB project
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:34:21 -0700

TAKE ACTION TODAY TO SUPPORT THAI VILLAGERS AT RISK OF DROWNING!

Please take action to support the villagers at Pak Mun and Rasi Salai dams on Thailand's Mun River. At the World Bank-funded Pak Mun dam, more than 1,000 villagers occupied the dam crest and fish ladder on May 15 and intend to stay until their demand is met. At Rasi Salai, more than 200 people remain perched in make-shift huts as the waters of Rasi Salai reservoir rise around them. They have vowed not to move until their demands are met. Others have occupied the crest of the Rasi Salai dam.

Both groups are demanding that the dam gates be permanently opened to allow the fish to migrate up the Mun river from the Mekong. Villagers are fearful of the violence that might ensue if they are forcibly removed, and are asking for letters of support to Thai Prime Minister Chuan.

We are trying to bombard Chuan's office with faxes, to let him know that the international community is closely monitoring the situation, and to pressure him to respect the villager's demands. YOUR LETTER IS IMPORTANT. Please take the time to copy the letter below and fax it to Chuan's office, or even better, write your own letter.

For more information about Pak Mun dam and Rasi Salai dams, see www.irn.org/programs/mekong.

Please fax Chuan now and show your support for the villagers out there on the dam and in the reservoir!

If you cannot fax overseas, please send a letter to the Thai Ambassador in your country. The Thai Ambassador to the US is Ambassador Nitya Pibulsonggram, Fax: 202 9443611.

Thanking you in advance,

Aviva Imhof
South-East Asia Campaigner
International Rivers Network
___________________________________

 

SAMPLE LETTER TO MR. CHUAN LEEKPAI INSERT DATE The Honorable Mr. Chuan Leekpai Prime Minister of Thailand Fax: 662-2475417 or 662-2801443 Dear Mr. Chuan I write to express my support for the villagers who are currently occupying the Pak Mun and Rasi Salai dams and those facing inundation by the Rasi Salai reservoir. These villagers are demanding that the Thai Government permanently open the dam gates to allow the fish to migrate up the Mun River from the Mekong to breed as they did in former times. I wholeheartedly support the villager's efforts to recover their lost livelihood and restore the ecology of the Mun River. The villagers' demand to open the gates of the dam are reasonable and should be seriously considered by your government. There is no good reason for the Rasi Salai Dam's gates to remain closed. Built in 1993 as part of a grand irrigation plan, the project is currently useless and likely to remain so. The reservoir sits on top of a huge salt dome and its water is too salty for irrigation. The dam's gates should be opened immediately. Removal of the Pak Mun dam would also result in immediate benefits, and no great loss to Thailand's power-generation capacity. The cost of opening the gates and allowing the river to flow unimpeded is marginal compared to the cost of lost fisheries that communities living along the Mun River have borne over the past nine years. Furthermore, the current oversupply of power in Thailand makes it technically feasible for EGAT to forfeit the generating capacity at Pak Mun without causing any interruptions to power supply. The villagers have vowed to remain non-violent. I am concerned about reports that villagers may be forced to move. In the past, this has lead to the use of violence to disperse the protesters. I urge you to direct the police to respect the rights of the protesters and to remain non-violent. There is absolutely no justification for use of force against the protesters. The best way for the villagers' concerns about the dam to be addressed is through a dialogue, not through the use of force. This is in keeping with the constitution which calls for consultation with communities affected by development plans, and demands respect for the human dignity of all people in Thailand. In addition, it is consistent with the aim of deepening and widening democracy in Thailand. Forceful eviction, by contrast, would create the impression that the Thai government is still committed to the use of force as the final arbiter of conflicts. This would be an unfortunate and unnecessary conclusion. Respectfully yours, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Aviva Imhof South-East Asia Campaigner International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94703 USA Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 (ext. 312), Fax: + 1 510 848 1008 Email: aviva@irn.org, Web: http://www.irn.org *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Dam Protests | WB/ IMF Asia & Pacific | IMF/ WB Struggles | www.agp.org (archives) | www.all4all.org