About 600 residents from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces began a “peace walk” pilgrimage today to highlight the hardships caused by toxic contamination of rivers linked to gold mining operations in Myanmar and to urge the government to seriously address the problem.
The pilgrimage, which will cover a distance of about 68km from Tha Ton subdistrict in Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai to Muang district of Chiang Rai, was organised by civic groups and local administrative organisations.
Joining the event were numerous monks, former senator Tuenjai Deetes, Mae Ai district chief Nitipakorn Saengsuwan, and Phra Maha Nikhom Maha Bhikkamanop, abbot of Tha Ton Temple.
Former senator Tuenjai Deetes
Niwat Roykaew, president of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group, said the event was intended to gather feedback from people living along both sides of the Kok River about problems caused by toxic substances in the Kok, Sai, Ruak, Salween, Kra Buri and Mekong rivers.
He said this was the first time local people had adopted a Dharma-based approach to drive a movement seeking solutions to the problem of cross-border pollution caused by unregulated discharges of toxic substances from mining operations in Myanmar into natural waterways flowing into Thailand.
Phra Maha Nikhom said the peace walk coincided with Visakha Bucha Day and aimed to highlight river contamination affecting large numbers of people in the two provinces.
Dr Suebsakun Kidnukorn, a coordinator of the event and a lecturer at Mae Fah Luang University, said he wanted Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to meet local residents and hear their grievances on June 5.
He stressed that residents wanted the problem tackled at its root cause, requiring the Thai government to hold talks with Myanmar, China and rebel groups in Myanmar, all of which have stakes in the gold mining operations, most of them run by Chinese firms.
The pilgrimage will continue until June 5, which marks World Environment Day.
