Mixed reaction from villagers to closure order

On Tuesday, Industry Minister Atchaka Sibunruang declared that the Akara Resources-owned gold mine would have to shut down by the end of this year in response to a conflict with local people. It has also been ordered to restore the environment and help people whose health has been affected by the mining operation. 

However, Prasert Sinchai, a resident at tambon Tai Dong in Phetchabun’s Wang Pong district, which is near the mine, complained that the closure would result in his son losing his job, which would put the family in dire financial straits. 

“My son is an employee of LotusHall Mining, which was contracted by Akara Resources to supply machines. If the mine closes, my family will be in distress because he is the only breadwinner,” Prasert said.

“The income from the company is reliable, and if we lose it, we don’t know where to find another source. The only work available here is farm work, and the money earned from that is barely enough to support a family, never mind a young child,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was quiet at the mine as of Tuesday. Though operations were continuing as per normal, many employees could be heard talking about their future. 

Chatree gold mine has been running since 2001, with some 992 employees on its current payroll, and has generated up Bt4.89 billion since it began operating. 

 

Big victory after more than 10-year battle

Tunyarat Sintontammatat, who lives near the mine and is the leader of the anti-mining campaign, said she was happy to hear about the shutdown because it meant her 10-year battle has finally been won. 

“I am very glad that the government ordered the mine’s closure, even though the deadline is at the end of this year. I have to thank all those who worked for this, the academics and everybody else who supported the campaign,” she said. 

However, she added that the restoration scheme was still doubtful as no concrete plans or time frame were in place and people still wondered whether the government would only clean up the mining area. 

“We need a clear plan to ensure that the affected people get proper help. We previously called on the ministry to name the area a disaster zone so people living nearby could be entitled to proper assistance,” she said. 

“This is not the end of the story for us. We still have to keep a close eye on the restoration operation and need to be sure that people get the help they need.” 

As for the community’s future, she said the conflicts between those for the mine and those against it could not be solved easily, because the mine’s supporters will be losing their jobs when the mine closes. 

She explained that though the Labour Ministry has promised to help the mine’s employees, it would still take a lot longer to ease tensions in the community. 

 

 

 - Akara Resources, a Thai-Australian venture, was licensed in 1993 to mine for gold in the provinces of Phichit, Phetchabun and Phitsanulok. 

- It began operations in 2000. South Chatree, Phase 1 of its open-pit mine, opened the following year, and North Chatree, Phrase 2, in 2008.

- The Chatree Mining Complex is 10,600 rai (about 1,700 hectares), including a 3,700-rai buffer zone. 

- Around 992 people are employed at the mine, 65 per cent of them from Phichit, Phetchabun and Phitsanulok and 99 per cent of them Thai citizens. 

- Akara holds 14 mining leases for 3,726 rai, nine of them valid until 2028. 

- Akara paid Bt3.9 billion in royalties to the government between 2001 and December 2015. It also is paying corporate income tax, value-added tax, duties and various local taxes on buildings and land.