A group of southern residents has called on the government to revoke two Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) bills and scrap the Land Bridge megaproject, saying they will severely impact their way of life.
Around 50 people from the Phato-Ranong Conservation Network gathered at the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters on Monday in Chatuchak district of Bangkok to demand that the party withdraw the two bills it drafted.
The network’s coordinator, Somchok Chungchaturan, said the bills would create an “independent state” for investors with certain rights deemed above the law, including the ability to relax labour and land use regulations and exemption from any proceedings aimed at safeguarding and preserving the environment and natural resources.
“[The] Bhumjaithai Party should take into serious consideration the impacts that would befall our communities, as we will not get any benefits from the SEC, but instead, we will be the victims of imbalanced development,” he said.
“The party should immediately withdraw the two bills from parliament. We will keep fighting until we are victorious.”
The corridor will cover four southern provinces: Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. It also includes the Land Bridge project connecting Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand to Ranong on the Andaman Sea.
The project envisions a deep-sea port in both provinces, plus a motorway and railway system connecting them, which are expected to improve logistics.
The Land Bridge project, which the coalition-leading Pheu Thai Party has proposed and Bhumjaithai supports, is being opposed by some residents and environmentalists because it will affect maritime ecosystems and result in land loss for several communities, said Mr Somchok.
Numerous academics and experts in the field of logistics have also expressed doubts about the project’s ability to reduce logistics costs or expedite procedures.
Sirawit Botham, head of Bhumjaithai’s coordinating unit told the protesters that their demands would be submitted to a party committee for consideration, saying that the two bills are now under consideration by the new cabinet.
Prior to their protest on Monday, the group had also submitted a petition to the government, making the same demands.
