Opposition to proposal to dredge Thai sand for Singapore

Rights body opposes firm's sand dredging proposal
Bangkok Post 15 Nov 09;

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has opposed a proposal from a firm which wants to dredge sand from the Takua Pa river basin in Phangnga and ship it to Singapore.

The commission says that such operations should not be permitted as they are in violation of community rights and environment laws under the current constitution.

KSand and Resources Cooperation, a Thai-Singapore registered company, had offered to help the Tambon Bang Nai Sri Administrative Office in Takua Pa district clear more than 40km of sediment that is blocking the mouth of the Takua Pa River. The firm has offered to do the job free of charge over a five-year period. About 21 million cubic metres of sand would be collected and shipped to Singapore for a land expansion project, if the firm is given the go-ahead.

Niran Pitakwatchara, an NHRC commissioner, said the scale of the proposed operation is considered a mega-project that is bound to strongly impact the area's sensitive eco-system and the traditional way of life of the locals.

Therefore it requires public hearings and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) under Section 67 of the charter.

The commission is close to completing and submitting a report on the issue to ministers of the Environment and National Resources, Commerce, and also Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, chairman of the National Environment Board, said Mr Niran.

"The go-ahead at the local level is not enough. It is a very important issue and we cannot do without a full-scale EIA and public involvement," he said.

He said it is not an issue on which a decision by the local administrative office could be taken alone.

The reason officials of a much higher level need to get involved is that more than 40,000 rai of the Takua Pa river basin is rich in natural resources and a source of food for so many people.

When Mr Niran and his team visited the area last month, they found that most of the local people did not have that much information about the project. All they were told was that it would help ease the annual flooding. They were not aware of the possible negative impacts of the project.

His team also listened to the firm's explanation, which he said was not clear on many points, especially on measures it planned to put in place to minimise the environmental impacts.

The Department of Mineral Resources is now studying the area's silica oxide levels and the test results are expected by the end of the month.

Thailand bans the export of sand from areas where silica oxide levels are found to be higher than 75%.

Gen Chira Navisthrira, the company's president, previously said that the project would not go ahead without the local people's agreement.