A group of local activists has petitioned the United Nations and several foreign embassies to reject the government’s Land Bridge megaproject, saying the project would violate the human rights of residents in the affected areas.
In the petition, representatives from Patoh Conservation Network, Rak Ranong and the Council of Southern People expressed their objections to the project, which they described as lacking transparency, harmful to the environment and undermining human rights principles.
They urged prospective investors to consider all aspects of the project before pouring their money into the scheme.
Somchok Jungjaturant, from Patoh Conservation Network, said that he and 50 fellow activists had visited the embassies of China, Japan, and Germany — countries that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had visited to promote the project — to voice their opposition.
The group said Mr Srettha’s presentation didn’t provide investors with the bigger picture, especially its impacts on local livelihoods, the environment, and basic human rights.
“We are here to let foreign investors know the other side of story, which has never been told by the government,” he said, explaining that the project will destroy local residents’ way of life and undermine their access to fertile land and marine resources.
“We hope that our message will be seriously considered. It can help prevent the violation of basic human rights of local residents, and reduce the severity of climate change.”
The project would see the construction of a massive seaport on the Gulf of Thailand coast, as well as the Andaman Sea coast, which would be linked by a double-track railway and a 90km highway. It would feature an underground logistics system and an industrial estate for the petrochemical industry.
The groups fear local residents would be adversely affected by the construction, especially the Moken indigenous tribes who live along the Andaman coast.
Many of them do not have citizenship documents, so they would not receive compensation for the land they currently inhabit, he said.
According to Mr Somchok, the network will also submit a complaint to the prime minister at Government House on Tuesday and the parliament on Wednesday.