Living in fear of drilling impact in Khon Kaen
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EVERY morning members of the Ban Na Mun-Dun Sad Environmental Conservation Group in Khon Kaen's Kranuan district gather to raise villager awareness about what they allege will be the negative impact of a nearby petroleum-drilling operation.
It is feared that Apico (Khorat) Ltd’s upcoming natural gas flaring – a drilling operation in which unwanted gas is burned off via huge naked flames – could yield a negative impact on the environment.
A previous warning for residents not to use rainwater and a lack of explanations has left people nervous and worried.
“Everyday we live in fear. We have a meeting at alternate places to exchange information,” said the group’s co-ordinator Nattaporn Artharn, adding that the villagers’ fear and their desire to protect the community’s resources prompted them to come together to protest, even when martial law was in effect.
She recalled how residents of Ban Na Mun Moo 4 and Moo 7 in Tambon Dun Sad officially formed this group in January after learning about Apico’s plan to move in its drilling equipment.
The private company did this in February, a process guarded by hundreds of national security officers and overlooked by far fewer protesters on site, Nattaporn said.
“The private company was supported by the state, which also disregarded people’s objections. Some villagers were also threatened by the officers,” she said.
Some people believed the protest – given it was occurring in the Northeast – was politically motivated, Nattaporn said. But what was happening was actually the people’s attempt – regardless of their political colour – to protect resources, she said.
Ban Na Mun resident Wichai Jaiboon told a recent seminar that the group gathered without leaders and all members helped one another.
“We think that the [leadership] burden should not be pushed onto anyone and we don’t emphasis having anyone to decide [things] alone,” he said, pointing out that the goal was to stop the gas exploration drilling and have all equipment removed. “We don’t want anymore development. We are content with fresh air and our lifestyle,” he added.
Another speaker, fellow villager Pakorn Sakaengtoom, said the group was established to unite the villagers and create a better understanding about the issue inside and outside the area. “We’ve also thought about setting up a fund to fight this case and support other community activities,” he added.
In their battle to win, villagers had educated themselves about civil servants’ habits, gas-drilling procedures, and the impact on other communities that suffered a similar fate, Pakorn said.
“We have to fight all the way no matter how small the percentage the company will stop. We are gathering information to fight and are trying to find possible solutions to protect our rights against a development that will aversely affect out community,” he said.
