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980212 BANGKOK POST: GAS PIPELINE



February 12, 1998


                                       



                               GAS PIPELINE

              Chuan stalls
              formation of
              mediating panel

              Project opponents say they can wait

              Chakrit Ridmontri

              An initiative to settle differences between opposing parties in the
              gas pipeline issue has been stalled by the prime minister.

              The establishment of a public information panel to mediate
              between conservation groups and the Petroleum Authority of
              Thailand has not been authorised by Chuan Leekpai.

              Groups that want to keep the pipeline out of forests won an
              agreement from the administration and the PTT to set up the
              panel, whose findings would be put to the government for further
              consideration and publicised.

              The committee comprises prominent persons acceptable by both
              sides, among them Prawase Wasi, the reform advocate, and
              Anand Panyarachun, former premier. The groups demanded the
              committee be set up formally by the government.

              Supatra Masdit, the PM's Office minister who coordinated with
              the groups and the PTT, pledged to pass documents on its
              establishment to Mr Chuan for approval yesterday so it could
              start work today. The panel was to have completed its task
              within 10 days.

              According to an aide to Khunying Supatra, the premier had yet
              to approve the committee's establishment and appoint the
              members.

              "As far as I know, Khunying Supatra will meet the premier today
              and submit the document. But I'm not sure Mr Chuan will sign it
              immediately, so the committee may not start working tomorrow
              as planned," said the aide.

              Pibhop Dhongchai, a core leader of the groups, declined to
              comment on the delay, saying criticism of the government or Mr
              Chuan is useless as all parties are trying to cooperate for a
              peaceful settlement.

              "I don't mind if the process is delayed. It's the PTT, not us, who
              will lose if the talks are postponed," he said.

              The groups are blocking the PTT from laying the pipeline over a
              stretch of about 2km in the section that runs through lush forest in
              Thong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi. The blockade would continue
              during the 10 days of talks.

              The PTT was not available for comment about the committee
              yesterday.

              Mr Anand said he had agreed to chair the committee, which
              would weigh the benefits of the project at local and national
              levels and find ways to settle conflicts of this kind.

              However, he wanted the PTT to stick to the terms and
              conditions set in the contract it made with the consortium
              counterpart which supplies gas from Burma.

              According to the contract, the PTT has to complete the 260km
              Thai section by July 2, the first delivery date. It claims failure to
              do so would leave it liable to a fine set initially at 60 million baht
              a day. 




                                       




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Last Modified: Thu, Feb 12, 1998