BKK POST: January 15, 1998: GAS PI

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

January 15, 1998  GAS PIPELINE


              Experts favour 
              suspension without 
              incurring penalty

                   Chakrit Ridmontri


              The majority of legal experts involved in examining the 
              Thai-Burmese gas pipeline contracts have concluded in favour of 
              the interpretation that the pipeline construction might be 
              suspended without incurring a penalty.

              The panel of 10 experts spent three days at Government House 
              at Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai's initiative to thrash out 
              opposing opinions on the contracts.

              Experts on the side of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, the 
              project developer, insisted that the PTT would be liable to a 
              hefty fine if construction was suspended resulting in delay to the 
              project completion. Those on the opponents' side disagreed.

              All five experts appointed by the opposing conservation groups 
              rendered an opinion in favour of the opponents' interpretation.

              Three experts, one appointed by PTT and the other two by the 
              government, favoured the PTT's interpretation. Another 
              PTT-appointed expert delivered an inconclusive opinion while 
              the remaining government expert, the secretary-general of the 
              Council of State who chaired the talks, abstained.

              Phibhob Dhongchai, coordinator of conservation groups, 
              revealed the results yesterday at a press conference. He called 
              on Mr Chuan who received a report of the talks on Monday to 
              make a decision on the fate of the project based on the opinion 
              of the majority.

              "I hope that Mr Chuan will be democratic-minded and respect 
              the conclusion of the committee he appointed to give him legal 
              advice," said Mr Phibhob who was one of the experts in the 
              talks.

              The committee was assigned to study the contracts which PTT 
              signed with the gas drilling consortium and a construction 
              company to consider the possibility of suspending the project 
              and reroute the pipeline as demanded by the opponents.

              "I reveal the results to send a message to the prime minister. If he 
              remains unresponsive, we have to consider tougher action," 
              warned Mr Phibhob, saying the groups would resort only to 
              peaceful protests, a right recognised by the constitution.

              Songkiert Tansamrit, PTT director of public relations, asked for 
              calm from protesters who are camping out at the entrance to a 
              lush forest in Kanchanaburi to prevent the laying of the pipeline.

              However, he insists that the PTT would suffer a heavy fine, 
              originally estimated at about 40 million baht a day, if it could not 
              finish the project by July.