A group of energy resource protection advocates petitioned the Central Administrative Court yesterday, asking it to stop an Energy Ministry plan to allow a new round of bidding for gas and oil exploration licences throughout the country.
The petition was submitted by Srisuwan Janya, president of the Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA), along with around 30 other energy activists.
Mr Srisuwan said the Energy Ministry was trying to rush the project without listening to calls from the public that the benefits of exploiting the country's natural resources be distributed fairly.
The new round of gas and oil exploration bidding contests — the 21st in the country's history — is scheduled to begin in February next year, despite the fact the National Reform Council (NRC) has yet to lay down ground rules for the energy sector.
"We can't interpret the government's decision in any way other than it is trying to help investors make profits by exploiting natural resources," Mr Srisuwan said.
The SGWA and activists demanded the bidding contest be stopped.
They accused the national energy policy committee and the Department of Mineral Fuels of malpractice by trying to push through the contest.
The group demanded the new round of gas and oil exploration be suspended until the NRC completes its study and comes up with recommendations for energy reform.
Public hearings should also be called at gas and oil exploration zones to ensure that any work does not have a negative impact on locals and that they can benefit from it.
In their petition, the group urged the court to issue an injunction suspending all state activities on the project until laws are amended to protect the public interest in the state's exploitation of energy resources.
Local activists also voiced opposition to an Energy Ministry plan to award concessions to private firms exploring for gas and oil at 29 sites. Instead of allowing concessions, the government should adopt a new benefit sharing system when granting exploration rights to investors, they said.
Admiral Banawit Kengrian, one of the petition's sponsors, said the benefit-sharing system is the best choice because current royalties on gas and oil concessions are low and the state should be making more money from them.