Anti-mines group marches to Akara

UP TO 200 members of a group fight gold-mining concessions marched to the Akara mine in Phichit province to protest against the policy yesterday. The group is comprised of locals from 12 provinces.

The rally was held one day after a network of locals and employees of Akara Resource voiced their support for the policy on Wednesday. Yesterday’s rally wrapped up peacefully with no confrontations with those supporting the Akara group. 

Dr Arom Kamching, a leader of the group from Phitsanulok province, said they were not targetting Akara mine, but were protesting against mining in general because it causes pollution and they did not want new concessions to be granted while existing problems were left unsolved. 

“We want to express our concerns and let the public know that granting gold-mining concessions is unjustified, as it causes deforestation, contaminates the environment and poisons locals with heavy metal and cyanide,” Arom said. 

She also pointed out that the real beneficiaries of the gold mines are only the mining companies, as they are allowed to take the gold out of the country and just pay Bt500 million a year as royalties. 

“Local people will be the ones left carrying the burden. Their environment will be contaminated and their health will be under threat. This is not worth the job opportunities promised by the gold mine operators,” she said.

She added that 18,000 signatures had already been collected by the group, and they hope to have 20,000 signatures when they submit a petition voicing opposition to mining concessions to the government next Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, Surachart Mun-samai, a representative of the Akara Mine Community Network, said employees of Akara Resource and local communities supported the concessions because it will create job opportunities and bring prosperity to the locals. 

“We wish to hear the gold-mining concession policy and the benefits it will provide to the locals. We are certain that the opposition side’s claims of heavy-metal contamination from the mine is unfounded, and only a few locals have joined yesterday’s protest. Most of the protesters are outsiders,” Surachart stated. 

Earlier, the Primary Industries and Mines Department had announced that an opinion survey will be conducted in Phichit province on Tuesday and in Lop Buri province today over plans to grant mining concessions in the provinces of Phichit, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Loei, Nakhon Sawan, Saraburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Surat Thani, Sa Kaew and Satun. The surveys were later postponed after being criticised for being ambiguous.