Ex adviser to PM says water projects violate UN charter
A former adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called on the United Nations to intervene in the Thai government's Bt350-billion water-management projects on grounds that the dams project may violate the UN Convention against Corruption.
Utain Shartpinyo used to work for the government-appointed Flood Relief Operation Centre and the ruling Pheu Thai Party. He believes the mega-project violates the UN Convention against Corruption, which took effect in Thailand from March 31, 2011.
“I believe the UN will contact the National Anti Corruption Commission within the next one or two days,” Utain said yesterday. He was speaking after a meeting with a senior UN official in Bangkok.
Utain said he also plans to petition the Central Administrative Court soon to seek an injunction to block the water-management projects.
“The terms of reference for those projects are unclear,” he said. “The government has issued a royal decree for the financing of the projects, bypassing parliamentary scrutiny”.
The royal decree on the Bt350-billion loan, which was approved in the wake of the 2011 flood crisis, authorises relevant state agencies to seek loans by June 30.
An informed source said if Utain’s move was successful, the government was likely to fail to meet its deadline and the mega water-management projects would not take off.
“I was in charge of the Pheu Thai Party’s strategies before. I know its true colour. Let me tell you that the mega water-management projects are beyond what are necessary,” Utain said.
He said the government rushed to implement the projects, thus failing to carefully study all relevant information.
The government has been pushing ahead with the dams and other projects. Qualified firms have been invited to tender bids for the projects by May 3.
