Opponents of Thepa coal-fired plant protest

The Nation 10 September 2017 | Pratch Rujivanarom

Hundreds of opponents of the Thepa coal-fired power plant marched in Songkhla’s Thepa district to protest against the expedited construction of the project.

Starting in the early morning on Sunday, opposition groups waved green flags and marched in protest against the 2,200-megawatt power plant, which is under the purview of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

In a statement, protesters said the plant was a corrupt project pushed by powerful persons as fast as possible before the current government leaves office, resulting in many negative impacts to the environment and people’s livelihoods.

They said local people in Thepa district wanted clean energy, not power from coal, and that the protest showed the solidarity of people against the plant, signifying the community’s will to protect people from coal pollution.

The group also listed 20 reasons to oppose the coal-fired plant, which mostly related to questions about the environmental impacts, concerns over people’s livelihoods, and impacts to local mosques and temples.

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