The gruesome murder of a village head in Krabi and seven other victims last week shed some light on quarrying in this country.
Before he was killed in a brutal execution-style murder, Phuyai Ban (village head) Worayut Sanglang of tambon Ban Klang was reported to have a close ties with a quarry operator in the Andaman coastal region, who a few years ago sought a controversial quarry concession at Khao Manohra in Krabi, known for its prehistoric cave paintings. According to police, Worayut acted as a liaison, linking the operator with local state agencies.
Police hypothesised that Worayut had been hired by the quarry operator to appease and silence local people who wanted to protect the mount and stop the blasting of rock, but he failed to calm them down. The conservationists were successful in their endeavours -- as the Fine Arts Department eventually registered the area as an archaeological site, which in effect protects the site from being quarried.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.
However, police amended their theory and arrested a prime suspect who allegedly killed the village head in cold blood for personal reasons related to land mortgages.
Yet, quarrying in this country remains riddled with conflict and violence, with the law an unhelpful tool.
Under the law, the sites designated as quarries must be stand-alone areas and remote from communities. In reality, it's just the opposite. A number of complaints have been made by communities affected by rock blasting -- areas that are either too close to communities, or have ecological and historical value.
Another concern is whether quarrying will destroy sources of natural water. Some designated mounts, while not located in protected watershed zones, are the source of natural streams that supply water for communities and farms.
Since 2002, the National Human Rights Commission has received over 300 complaints regarding rock blasting in several areas, including a case over Khao Manohra. Many of these cases are controversial and quite a few people who lodged complaints subsequently faced threats and intimidation.
According to a 2014 report by the Union for Civil Liberty, a Bangkok-based NGO, a total of 33 grassroots activists protesting projects with harmful environmental impacts have been killed in the past 20 years in Thailand. Of the total, seven deaths were leaders of anti-quarry demonstrations. Among them are Pravien Boonnug, who was gunned down in front of the local administration office in Amphoe Wang Saphung in Loei district in July 1995, and the double murders of Som Promma and Kamnan Tongmuan Kamjam, who were shot dead in 1999 in Nong Bua Lam Phu province.
"Quarrying is a quintessentially lucrative local business. Unlike dams, deep-sea ports or power plants which, at some level, are state initiatives, or require supervision and permission from the central government (that more or less has to follow rule of law in dealing with protesters), those in the rock blasting business only need approval from the authorities at the local or provincial level," said Hannarong Yaowalers, a veteran activist and member of the National Human Rights Commission's subcommittee monitoring issues on community rights and the mineral resources industry.
At the local level, mafiosi can use their influence and connections to win concessions.
"Rock blasting also leads to downstream businesses, especially rock transport, which are often awarded to project supporters. Developers and supporters are highly motivated to win the projects," he said.
What is needed in dealing with local influences or ensuring safety for those embroiled in conflicts that are entrenched in the nature of this business? Or at least, how can we prevent corruption and make the industry more accountable to society? On this point, I agree with Mr Hannarong, who believes that this is the best time to solve the problem at a policy level.
The government last December adopted a revised version of the Mineral Resources Act, which stipulates the formation of a national committee to oversee concessions and zoning.
"It is about time to require operators to seek permission from the central government, not only from local administrations, and let the national committee comprising representatives from various sectors decide on quarry zoning," Mr Hannarong said in a phone interview.
Society has changed a great deal. Mountains encompass watershed areas or archaeological sites that can boost tourism have become valuable resources. We need to revise the laws governing quarrying.
