Court defends its Doi Suthep construction despite residents’ objections

He was addressing ongoing concern in the local community about the buildings and a military proposal to suspend the project. 
“We are giving importance to environmental conservation and we are not just talking. On the COJ founding day, April 21, we will plant trees and do related activities. We understand the public’s concerns,” said Sarawut, citing the Bangkok-based Ratchadapisek Criminal Court’s solar-cell installation project as an example of the COJ’s awareness. 
Sarawut said the COJ had coordinated with related agencies about the matter, and said the media should give the public “accurate and complete” information. 
Construction was ongoing and the contractor slated to hand the buildings over to the COJ in June, he said.
“We’re trying to explain that what we are doing is with good intentions, with no aim to destroy the environment or cause damage to nature,” he said, adding that the COJ had to act within the law.
COJ spokesman Suriyan Hongwilai said the matter had involved people’s emotions and sentiments, adding that the COJ had tried to make people understand that officials in the buildings would coexist with the environment and local people.
Third Army Region 3 chief Lt-General Wijak Siribansop, meanwhile, said the appropriate use of the land was a matter for discussion by the COJ, the Royal Forestry Department and Treasury Department’s State Property Management Division. Wajak said his office had returned the land in question to the Treasury Department in 2004. 
Adding that an investigation over the military’s proposal to suspend the project would conclude this week, Wijak said he believed construction had been carried out in an authorised area.
If the probe results confirmed that, building would proceed per the construction contract, Wijak said. He added that public sentiment should be taken into account, but that was different than the legality of the land use.