Civic groups in the southern provinces are mobilising support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to oppose the proposed land bridge and Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) projects.
They claim the projects will seriously affect the livelihoods of many people in the South, damage the environment and tourism industry, and place large areas of land under foreign ownership for up to 99 years.
Somboon Kamhaeng, a key member of the Southern People’s Council, said that only the unity and power of the people can stop the projects by preventing the government from ramming them through parliament.
He said that the committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, set up by the government to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment study of the two related projects, cannot be trusted because the government has a fixed intent to realise the projects and are enjoying majority support in parliament, as well as the backing of charter-mandated independent organisations.
According to EnLAW, more than 100,000 people have already signed a petition demanding that the government reconsiders the two related projects.
EnLAW and Green Peace have opened the website stop-sec.com, where members of the public can join the campaign to stop the projects until the end of June.
The Internet Law Reform Dialogue, or iLAW, recently revealed the content of the SEC bill be debated in parliament soon.
Some of the controversial highlights of the bill include:
- Foreign investors in SEC would have the right to lease land for up to 50 years, with the option to extend the lease by another 49 years. They would have ownership rights over the land in the SEC zone and would be exempted from enforcement of the Land Code.
- Foreign investors would have the right to bring into Thailand experts, with their spouses and children, whose skillsets would be useful for the development of technology and innovations in the SEC zone. They may also be granted tax deductions and immigration privileges.
- The foreign experts would not be required to get work permits from the Labour Department for working in Thailand.
- Imports for use in the SEC zone and exports from the zone would be exempted from customs laws. Businesses in the SEC would be able to use their currencies to buy goods and services.
