Activists have pleaded with the National Council for Peace and Order to focus more on environmental issues as it addresses economic concerns.
Two weeks after the coup, environmentalists said the NCPO seemed to focus on projects that aim to boost the economy such as paying overdue payments to farmers under the rice-pledging scheme.
Among them are projects under the controversial two-trillion-baht transport and infrastructure development plans and the 350-billion-baht water management scheme which were reviewed by the junta earlier this week.
Environmentalists expressed concern over the environmental impact from those projects while martial law has restricted their actions in environmental protection.
They said authorities should listen more to those affected by development projects — this was on their "wishlist" on World Environment Day yesterday.
Penchom Sae-tang, director of Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (Earth), praised the decision to boost the economy.
However, she said if the NCPO was pursuing any more projects that may affect the environment and communities in the country, it must pay heed to people's opinions, rather than listening only to officials and the business sectors.
Projects in question included oil concessions, the water management scheme, and transport development projects, she said.
Stop Global Warming Association president Srisuwan Janya said the NCPO was trying to test the water by not making it clear which parts of the controversial water management scheme are to be revised. He said it could be the Pakbara seaport project in Satun.
Mr Srisuwan said a large number of people have supported the junta, but to exclude people's voices from a project could become a big mistake.
"Without listening to their opinions, the honeymoon period for the NCPO could end soon," Mr Srisuwan said.
He said public hearing is the most important and delicate process for a development project.
Ms Penchom said the NCPO shouldn't consider the people's voices as "a nuisance" because these people would protest only if a project affects their ways of life. If the NCPO ignored them today, their frustration will force them to rise up against it in the future.
"By that time, people will lose trust in the NCPO, and the new administration that it appoints," Ms Penchom said.
Thai Sea Watch Association spokesman Bunjong Nasae said the environment seemed to be a secondary issue for every administration in this country.
He said projects with environmental impacts must not be hastily pursued. They need long planning, he said.
Mr Bunjong raised the over-fishing in the fishery industry that he claims has ruined seafloor habitats and coastal fishing sustainability.
He said it doesn't need a big budget to solve the problem.
"It only needs a ministerial regulation and strict measures to be observed by officials," he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Department is preparing to propose a law on garbage disposal fees as part of fresh attempts to solve the increasing amounts of garbage which now stands at more than 41,000 tonnes a day.
So far officials have been authorised to charge householders only for garbage removal, but to ensure better waste management, people need to help pay for waste disposal too, department chief Phonthep Siriwanarangsan said.
He also expressed concern over municipalities which fail to dispose of trash properly, though they have been given budgets to build hygienic disposal systems.
Activists have pleaded with the National Council for Peace and Order to focus more on environmental issues as it addresses economic concerns.
Two weeks after the coup, environmentalists said the NCPO seemed to focus on projects that aim to boost the economy such as paying overdue payments to farmers under the rice-pledging scheme.
Among them are projects under the controversial two-trillion-baht transport and infrastructure development plans and the 350-billion-baht water management scheme which were reviewed by the junta earlier this week.
Environmentalists expressed concern over the environmental impact from those projects while martial law has restricted their actions in environmental protection.
They said authorities should listen more to those affected by development projects — this was on their "wishlist" on World Environment Day yesterday.
Penchom Sae-tang, director of Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (Earth), praised the decision to boost the economy.
However, she said if the NCPO was pursuing any more projects that may affect the environment and communities in the country, it must pay heed to people's opinions, rather than listening only to officials and the business sectors.
Projects in question included oil concessions, the water management scheme, and transport development projects, she said.
Stop Global Warming Association president Srisuwan Janya said the NCPO was trying to test the water by not making it clear which parts of the controversial water management scheme are to be revised. He said it could be the Pakbara seaport project in Satun.
Mr Srisuwan said a large number of people have supported the junta, but to exclude people's voices from a project could become a big mistake.
"Without listening to their opinions, the honeymoon period for the NCPO could end soon," Mr Srisuwan said.
He said public hearing is the most important and delicate process for a development project.
Ms Penchom said the NCPO shouldn't consider the people's voices as "a nuisance" because these people would protest only if a project affects their ways of life. If the NCPO ignored them today, their frustration will force them to rise up against it in the future.
"By that time, people will lose trust in the NCPO, and the new administration that it appoints," Ms Penchom said.
Thai Sea Watch Association spokesman Bunjong Nasae said the environment seemed to be a secondary issue for every administration in this country.
He said projects with environmental impacts must not be hastily pursued. They need long planning, he said.
Mr Bunjong raised the over-fishing in the fishery industry that he claims has ruined seafloor habitats and coastal fishing sustainability.
He said it doesn't need a big budget to solve the problem.
"It only needs a ministerial regulation and strict measures to be observed by officials," he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Department is preparing to propose a law on garbage disposal fees as part of fresh attempts to solve the increasing amounts of garbage which now stands at more than 41,000 tonnes a day.
So far officials have been authorised to charge householders only for garbage removal, but to ensure better waste management, people need to help pay for waste disposal too, department chief Phonthep Siriwanarangsan said.
He also expressed concern over municipalities which fail to dispose of trash properly, though they have been given budgets to build hygienic disposal systems.
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