The 7-member committee to resolve the Pak Moon dam problem has resigned en masse to protest against the unilateral closure of the sluice gate of the dam in violation against the joint agreement of all stakeholders that the opening or closing of the sluice gate must be based on technical consideration.
Committee members are Professor Prakob Virotekoot, Mrs Sunee Chairos, Mr Detrat Sookkamnerd, Mr Chavalit Witthayanont, Mr Anant Harnpanichpant, Mr Chalotorn Kansantisookmongkol and Mr Pornchai Tantiwittayapitak.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the committee said that in the past 20 years, the construction and operations of the Pak Moon dam had caused better conflict between governments and rural people living along the Moon river because the project has affected the livelihood of the people and jeopardize the ecology system of the lower Pak Moon river basin.
Each government in the past 20 plus years set up a committee to resolve the conflict but it appears that the problem has become even more complex and complicated.
A huge amount of research papers about all aspects of the dam and its impacts have been presented by the committees, but the information available in the papers has barely been put to good use.
However, the key problem which appeared to have resented the committee was the move of the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand to close the sluice gate of the dam on October 29 without prior consultation with the committee.
The academics in the committee protested against the Egat’s move which was regarded as a violation of the joint agreement of all the stakeholders.
