News

ABC News 28 April 2016 | Liam Cochrane, South-East Asia correspondent 

The struggle over the Chatree mine and its impacts on local health really comes down to a lack of clarity in Thailand over what levels of naturally occurring toxic substances are considered safe.

Viet Nam News  21 April 2016  

HANOI - The Vietnam Environmental Industry Association called for the creation of incentives to promote the development of the industry at a conference in Ha Noi last week.

The conference sought to review the implementation of a project on developing the environmental industry in Vietnam for the 2010-15 period and set goals through to 2025.

Bangkok Post 19 April 2016 | WRITER: APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

Local communities and environmentalists petitioned the Supreme Administrative Court Monday to revoke a National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) directive waiving city planning regulations to facilitate waste-to-energy plant projects.

Locals say their land and ability to farm it have been hindered by the disruption caused by the transportation and processing of the 1,800 tonnes of rubbish that the plant collects every day from the province to fuel the facility.

Bangkok Post 08 April 2016 | Writer: Apinya Wipatayotin

Agency worried about risk to water supply

The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), a state enterprise under the Interior Ministry, opposes the planned construction of a waste-fired power plant in tambon Chiang Rak Yai of Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district, it said Tuesday.

Chaiwat Vorapeboonpong, assistant to the MWA governor, said the MWA joined residents in tambon Chiang Rak Yai in moving against the project which would pose a threat to the Sam-Lae Raw water pump station, the biggest raw water source in the area, which serves milli

Bangkok Post 04 April 2016 | Ariane Kupferman-Sutthavong

A mineral bill proposed by the Ministry of Industry passed its first hearing in parliament last month, but environmentalists and activists warn it could lead to the destruction of protected natural resources and human rights violations.

The draft legislation is flawed and lacks safeguards on health and the environment, said Supaporn Malailoy, EnLaw Foundation manager. But more importantly, it does not allow for the input of local communities in decision-making concerning new mining sites.

Bangkok Post 19 Mar 2016 

RAYONG — Fishermen and activists in this eastern province want an investigation into the exact cause of mass fish deaths, which authorities insist are part of a natural phenomenon that occurs every year.

However, some local people suspect waste discharged from factories at the Map Ta Phut industrial estate could be linked to the thousands of dead fish that have washed up on Ta Kuan beach.

THE NATION 11 March 2016 | SAYAN CHUCHAM, CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

NEARLY HALF of the people living near a gold mine in Phichit province have been found to have abnormally high levels of manganese in their blood as indicated by a study run by Rangsit University.

420 of the people tested had higher than normal levels of manganese. "About 19.52 per cent of those who provided blood samples also have abnormally high levels of arsenic in their blood. The level of cyanide is higher tha normal in 5.88 per cent,"

MYANMAR ELEVEN 10 March 2016
KHINE KYAW | YANGON

CIVIL SOCIETY organisations (CSOs) and local residents living near the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) have called for action from the Japanese, Myanmar and Thai governments to tackle human rights violations before allowing the project to resume.

Myanmar Times 09 March 2016 | Aye Nyein Win, Su Phyo Win   

A civil society group has published a comprehensive report on mistakes made by the developers of a highly ambitious project in Dawei in the hope the new government will address their concerns before allowing the project to continue.

The report urges the project’s Thai and Japanese investors to resolve problems affecting local communities before they continue building the special economic zone and deep-sea port in Tanintharyi Region.

Bangkok Post 08 March 2016 | Apinya Wipatayotin

Asean leaders mull clean air roadmap

Chiang Mai: Thailand has proposed each country set its own measures to reduce air particle levels according to their own standards, arguing such "active" measures could then be included in the Asean Haze-Free Roadmap to control transboundary haze pollution.