Security force deployment for Apico (Khorat) necessary: governor
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Khon Kaen governor Kamthorn Thawornsatit on Friday insisted that it was necessary for the depoloyment of security forces in clearing the way for the transport of Apico (Khorat)'s drilling equipment to a village.
He said that the deployment was to ensure that no local residents got hurt from blocking the way. He added that Apico holds the concession to carry out the exploration and if the drilling equipment does not reach the site in time or the authorities fail to help it access the exploration site, the company is liable to fines or other action.
He noted that villagers could also face legal actions, if their protests were excessive in nature. Fortunately the situation had not reached that point.
“There is a movement on the site that’s feeding villagers with false information as to the impact of the exploration. The information is false. The provincial authorities have informed the villagers. There is also an environmental impact assessment. If anything happens, the company will take responsibility for that," the governor said.
Four days ago, soldiers and police joined a group of men wearing hoods and volunteers to clear the way for drilling equipment to be taken on an oil well in the Northeast, much to the anguish of protesting villagers.
Apico (Korat) is a US-based oil and gas exploration company that won the concession to explore a site in Ban Na Dun, Kranuan district. Villagers have blocked the drilling because they believe EIA for the project was not conducted properly.
