Asia Times: Thailand: Of gas, dams, and direct democracy


	August 5, 2000	atimes.com

Editorials

Thailand: Of gas, dams, and direct democracy

A week ago Saturday, a motley crowd of 10,000 anti-government protesters assembled on Bangkok's Sanam Luang green near the Grand Palace to air their grievances. Some called for the government to redress the environmental impact of dam construction in the northeast, others wanted it to come up with lasting solutions to land-rights disputes with the forestry department, yet others demanded recognition of trade union rights, many just wanted the government of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai to quit and call new elections.

On the same day, some 1000km to the south, 1,500 or so students and activists of varying stripe stormed the municipal hall in Songkhla's commercial district of Hat Yai, site of a public hearing on the Trans Thai-Malaysia gas pipeline project to pump in natural gas from the off-shore Thai-Malaysian Joint Development Area. The hearing had to be suspended indefinitely and the protest has put execution of the multi-billion dollar project in doubt.

There is, of course, nothing wrong in principle with citizens' protests against dams, pipelines, highways or any number of other government projects that impact on their lives and livelihood. Local concerns should be given a fair hearing and taken into account in project implementation. But in Thailand by now, such protests have become a sport and an industry, continuing interminably and stalling such a substantial number of projects that it's high time to take a serious look at the virtues of the practice of direct democracy.

The new Thai constitution drafted in the course of 1997 by a Constitutional Drafting Assembly (CDA) became law in October of that year. In several of its clauses and in a clear break with past constitutions, it provides explicitly for and actively encourages direct citizen participation in the political process, ranging from project approval to submission of pieces of legislation to parliament and the removal of corrupt officials from office. Thus, for example, section 76 states that,

"The State shall promote and encourage public participation in laying down policies, making decision on political issues, preparing economic, social and political development plans, and inspecting the exercise of State power at all levels."

And section 79 decrees that,

"The State shall promote and encourage public participation in the preservation, maintenance and balanced exploitation of natural resources and biological diversity and in the promotion, maintenance and protection of the quality of the environment in accordance with the persistent development principle as well as the control and elimination of pollution affecting public health, sanitary conditions, welfare and quality of life."

Various NGOs that lobbied hard for the inclusion of such direct, participatory democray clauses now cite them as license for carrying out the type of protest activities described, and nothing short of all-out victory can persuading them to relent. And that is complete and utterly irresponsible nonsense. A large number of infrastructure projects, especially in the fields of energy, transportation and communications development, are by nature national concerns that supercede local and group interests and must be judged from the standpoint of their benefit (or lack thereof) for the country as a whole. Local concerns need to be taken into account. But once that's over and done with, the issue should be considered settled and closed. Some fishermen and farmers in Songkhla province may have good reason to be unhappy with a pipeline running through their fishing grounds or backyards and should be properly compensated. But their protests should not be permitted to stall or derail a project that's clearly in the national and - in this case - the southern regional development interest.

The new Thai constitution deliberately and justifiably bends the stick in the direction of popular participation in legislation and project approval. For too long did the over-centralized Thai state run roughshod over local and regional interests. But the challenge now is to find the proper balance in the interpretation of the constitution. Nor should anyone be too naive about such newly discovered exercises in "people's democracy". Scratch the surface a bit, ask who pays for the protesters' transportation, housing and food supplies, and you'll quickly uncover some very tangible interests of some of the same old patrons of villagers or fishermen who have run the show all along.

Regarding last Saturday's protests, we do, however, agree with one demand: the current government must go and go soonest.

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