News: Anti-mine villagers loses in lawsuit against mining company, Industry Minister

The Central Administrative Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against a gold mine company and Industry Minister by anti-mine villagers, saying villagers’ claims about the environmental effects of the mine are not credible. On 28 December 2016, the Central Administrative Court in Bangkok dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Minister of Industry, the Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries and Mines, and Tungkum Company, a gold mine operator in Loei. Sarawut Promsopha and 588 people most of whom are villagers from Wang Saphung District of the northeastern province of Loei are the plaintiff on the case. The villagers accused the state officials for malfeasance in office for overlooking the environmental and health impacts believed to be resulted from the mining operations of Tungkum Company in the district. The court, however, dismissed the lawsuit, citing the research finding of Chulalongkorn University. The research concluded that the excessive level of heavy metal contamination, such as cyanide on land and creeks of the district is naturally found in area with iron ore deposit and does not cause by the mining operations as the villagers alleged. The research added that the level of heavy metal contamination tended to increase in mid May and decrease in February, which shown that it increases during the raining season when the rain washes away the soil in the area and flows into local creeks, confirming that the contamination does not cause by the gold mine. Wang Saphung villagers who travelled to the court to hear to ruling were disappointed by the verdict. Pornthip Hongchai, members of Khon Rak Ban Koed (KRBK), translated as ‘People Who Love Their Home’ a local anti-mine activist group, said “It’s a nightmare, when [they] cited the research finding, our voices become meaningless” Tension between Wang Saphung villagers and Tungkum Company reached its peak in September 2013 when the villagers barricaded the mine entrance, blocking trucks, each of which normally carries 15 tons of cyanide waste, from passing through their villages. Although the sound of the machines disappeared and the sound of chirping birds returned, the villagers had to live in fear of judicial harassment, thugs, gunmen and death threats. Currently, Tungkum has halted mining operations since mid-2013. However, the company is currently trying to get permission from the authorities to renew the mining concession in Wang Saphung District. Source: http://prachatai.org/