Mothball dam plan for good

EDITORIAL

Published: 14 Sep 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Here we go again. No sooner had the northern run-off reached Sukhothai province in upper Central Thailand than the chorus from the dam hungry politicians began again for the construction of the Kaeng Sua Ten dam in the Mae Yom River basin.

The first politician to come out to blame the Sukhothai floods on the lack of dams on the Mae Yom River in Phrae province was Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut.

As a reminder, it was Mr Theera who last year ordered officials to delay releasing water from the Bhumibol dam so rice farmers in Suphan Buri could do their harvesting first. Suphan Buri is the constituency of Banharn Silpa-archa, the de facto leader of the Chart Thai Pattana Party. Mr Theera's decision was blamed for the accumulation of the huge, destructive water mass that later ravaged provinces downstream. A policy mistake of this magnitude would prompt the resignation of politicians elsewhere. Not here.

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raimund
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Discussion 3 : 14 Sep 2012 at 15.473
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So what is deputy minister Nattawut saying? As red shirt, he should side with the people, he always pretends to defend.
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peterl
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Discussion 2 : 14 Sep 2012 at 12.312
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The continuing presence of Mr Theera as Agriculture Minister suggests a lack of ministerial accountability for major policy mistakes on a mind boggling scale. If he indeed is the one who ordered a delay in releasing water from the Bhumibol dam last year to help rice farmers in Suphan Buri, the constituency of his de facto party leader, then he should have resigned a long time ago.
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waters
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Discussion 1 : 14 Sep 2012 at 07.511
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This is Thailand; a land where the financial interests of the selfish elite take priority over the interests of the masses. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut probably invisions personal massive profits in the construction of this proposed dam, and already knows someone who would profit handsomely by harvesting the 60,000 rai of trees. Logic, environmental awareness, and common sense take a back seat to the accumulation of the elite's personal wealth.

At the end of the day it'll be the fugitive who'll decide this issue, like with everything else. And we all know that his main interests are the accumulation of wealth and power. Besides,...if there is a disaster causing earthquake his financial interests, as well as Theeras, won't be effected.
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Mothball dam plan for good | Bangkok Post: opinion