{"id":44550,"date":"2021-06-28T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/?p=44550"},"modified":"2024-05-30T17:21:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T10:21:41","slug":"a-leaders-legacy-a-peoples-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/story\/44550\/a-leaders-legacy-a-peoples-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"A leader\u2019s legacy. A people\u2019s victory."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A three-hour drive south of the Thai capital of Bangkok will take you to the idyllic coastal city of Prachuab Khiri Khan (PKK), famous for its pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, and amazing seafood. Its community-based tourism is quite notable. <\/p>\n\n
Aerial view of Prachuab Khiri Khan region\u2019s coastline.
Despite growing industrialisation and urbanisation- with mass production factories spreading across the country- a majority of people in PKK still make a living through fishing, and coconut and pineapple farming. Many operate family-run tourism businesses. <\/p>\n\n
But PKK\u2019s peaceful landscape could have been so different had it not been for the local community\u2019s efforts to prevent the construction of three coal-fired power plants at their doorstep.<\/p>\n\n
The rise of people power<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n
It all started in 1995 when the Thai government announced plans to build coal power plants throughout Prachuab Kiri Khan: 700MWs at Bo Nok, 1,400MWs at Ban Krut, and 2,000MWs at Tab Sakae sub-district. The projects had been questioned by local communities especially on the lack of public participation and transparency especially on the coal plants\u2019 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIf the coal-fired power plant was good and really was naturally friendly, why would no other places accept it?,\u201d asked Sureerat Taechutrakul, one of the prominent leaders working with civil society groups resisting the project. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if the plant will have a negative impact on our pineapple and coconut plantations. We can\u2019t prove it, so we have the right to fear,\u201d another local said.<\/p>\n\nLocals from Thap Sakae, Bonok, Mae Rumphung, Ao Noi and Ban Khrut display a banner to show their opposition to a 4,000 MW coal power plant project being proposed in their province.
People had every reason to doubt, especially after they found wrongful information in the EIA, which they believed was intentional. The EIA report withheld information about coral reefs and Bryde\u2019s whales living in the area. Furthermore, it was found that the land for the power plant was acquired illegally. This had led to overall mistrust for the EIA, as well as raised concerns on the environmental impacts if the plant had been constructed. <\/p>\n\n
From merchants to farmers, fishers to chefs, people from all walks of life continued to stand together and maintained their opposition throughout the years to protect their rights and their homeland. Every single non-violent tactic had been used. They handed over demand letters to the city hall, blocked roads, intervened with the EIA study team, occupied the site of coal plants, lobbied local governments, and even attended stakeholder meetings of the company. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe coal-powered plant is a big-budget project, so during the protest, we only had a few allies. Greenpeace Thailand was one of them,\u201d Sureerat said.<\/p>\n\n
In 2000, the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior sailed to Thailand for the first time for the \u201cToxics-Free Asia\u201d tour. The vessel stopped by Baan Krut and raised its sails with flags to show support for the local movements in PKK. This marked an important step in Greenpeace Thailand\u2019s renewable energy campaign, working alongside people who clearly want a clean-energy future, even going against government\u2019s wishes<\/p>\n\nThe Rainbow Warrior anchors near a wind farm in Koh Lan Island, Thailand. The Greenpeace ship has visited the region several times to challenge the Thai government to commit to renewable energy as a solution to combating climate change.
\u201cI remembered the prolonged activity whereby local groups put pressure on the government\u2019s decision by counting down to the day of finalising whether or not these projects should go ahead,\u201d Tara Buakamsri, Country Director of Greenpeace Thailand, recalled. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThey put up big billboards on the highway indicating how many days left and announced for blood donation to be stocked in the local hospital to symbolically indicate that they would fight until death. It was a scary tactic, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Local communities made noise and put the issue on the national agenda by communicating about the project\u2019s lack of transparency. They put up signs along the street sides, from Bangkok all the way to the south to PKK, with messages like \u201cWhen the coal is clean, dogs are able to fly\u201d, or \u201cThe beach is a place for sea turtles to lay eggs, not for power plants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Their relentless campaigning worked. PKK representatives managed to open up a participatory process in making decisions about the country\u2019s energy future. The public viewed them, not as \u201cangry people\u201d who kept going protest after protest, but as a community inspired- giving the nation hope.<\/p>\n\n
The PKK community\u2019s first victory came in 2002 when the government announced a postponement of the project for another 2-5 years. This was followed by an order to move the power plant to another site.<\/p>\n\n
This initial success, however, came at a heavy price. <\/p>\n\n
Kill one and thousands more are born <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
In 2004, the government announced to call off the coal-fired power plant projects. The local communities then moved to further address the then controversial issue of land grab. <\/p>\n\n
On the 21st of June 2004, on the way back from Bangkok after testifying in a land grab case, local leader Charoen Wataksorn was assassinated by unknown assailants. Charoen was known for voicing concerns over the imminent environmental destruction of the proposed coal power plant. <\/p>\n\nLocals commemorate the13th death anniversary of anti-coal activist and local leader Charoen Wat-aksorn who was killed by unknown assailants in 2004. Communities in PKK have been fighting against coal power plant projects in their province for two decades. Even after his death, Charoen Wat-aksorn remains their biggest inspiration.
Born and raised in Prachuab Khiri Khan, Charoen had been fighting alongside the local people from day one. What drove him was the desire to protect their community and his homeland. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWhen the civil groups protested or went to (protest in) Bangkok, we had up to 20 cars packed with people. Charoen would be leading up front,\u201d Jintana Kaewkow said in an interview with BBC Thailand. <\/p>\n\n
Along with Charoen, Jintana was one of the prominent leaders resisting the power plants, for which she was jailed for four months. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cHe was a natural leader. He could control a large number of people while protecting them. At the time, he was the best in the country,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n
After the initial postponement of the project in 2002, the power plant project was brought up again in 2006, with plans to increase the generation capacity from 2,000 MWs to 4,000 MWs.<\/p>\n\n
The mastermind thought that by getting rid of the PKK leader, they would be able to proceed with the coal plant project. They were wrong.<\/p>\n\n
Charoen\u2019s death further intensified the protests. The coal-fired power plant project in Prachuab Khiri Khan was eventually abandoned for good in 2004. Two decades later, Charoen remains in the hearts of the local people. His legacy lives on. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cHis death is not in vain,\u201d Korn-uma Pongnoi, Charoen\u2019s wife, said. \u201cAs the Thai saying goes, \u2018kill one, and thousands more are born\u2019. No matter how powerful the people in power are, if the local communities stand together, we can win any fight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
Achieving the impossible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
The victory in Prachuab Khiri Khan marked a first for Thailand- of local communities overcoming the odds and winning a major victory against the government and the mighty coal industry. Thanks to people power, PKK is thriving and coal-free.<\/p>\n\nThai monks place a memorabilia representing the struggles of the Thai people in protecting the environment in a time capsule- inaugurated during the visit of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior Turn the Tide Tour of Southeast Asia in 2010. Together with anti-coal communities in Prachuab Khiri Khan, Greenpeace Thailand has called on the Thai Government to prioritise and support green investments and bold policy innovations through the use of renewable energy.
The resistance in PKK had been imprinted among Greenpeace Thailand activists who have fought hand in hand with local groups. <\/p>\n\n
Confronting the coal industry has never been easy, and it will never be. But the people of Prachuab Khiri Khan have proven that if everyone came together, overcame their fears and resisted as one, they can persevere and achieve the impossible.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cTo keep our livelihood for our future generation, we have to go beyond fear,\u201d Korn-uma Pongnoi said.<\/p>\n\n
Songwut Jullanan is a Media Campaigner for Greenpeace Thailand.<\/em><\/p>\n
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