Reports of planned hydro-electric dams surprised thousands of people along the Mekong River, say petition organisers. [Reuters]Friday, June 19, 2009
Claudette Werden
ABC Radio Australia
In an unprecedented move, more than 15,000 people from countries beside the Mekong River have signed a petition urging governments to abandon plans for hydro-electricity along the river's mainstream.
Co-organiser Premrudee Daoroung told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program they printed postcards in three languages - Thai, Cambodian and English - and took three months to gather responses.
This week, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was presented with the petition.
Eleven dams are proposed along the lower Mekong - seven in Laos, two at the Laos-Thailand border and another two in Cambodia.
Risk to fishing
The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydro-electricity which will increase the countries' economic potential, they could also destroy fish stocks and other aquatic life.
That could ruin the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day-to-day existence and income.
Ms Daoroung, co-founder of the Bangkok-based Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), says the Prime Minister told them while the Thai government was monitoring the situation, he felt he needed more information before forming a view about a hydro-power dam.
But Mr Vejjajiva did feel there should be a better way to find water for agriculture in north-eastern Thailand than huge projects on the river to channnel water off - as proposed by a previous administration - she said.
Ms Daoroung said environmental groups were pleased they had 30 minutes with the Prime Minister and she understood his wish for more details.
'Big work'
As for the petition, she says that "even though the 16,380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong . . . looking at the process, it's a very big work.
Ms Daoroung says most people approached had not known about the 11 proposed dams.
"This was the very first time this news has reached the people - the people along the Mekong, and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
"But the impressive thing is that 95 percent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support.
"So for us it's a good, good response . . . because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support" such a cause.
Co-organiser Premrudee Daoroung told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program they printed postcards in three languages - Thai, Cambodian and English - and took three months to gather responses.
This week, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was presented with the petition.
Eleven dams are proposed along the lower Mekong - seven in Laos, two at the Laos-Thailand border and another two in Cambodia.
Risk to fishing
The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydro-electricity which will increase the countries' economic potential, they could also destroy fish stocks and other aquatic life.
That could ruin the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day-to-day existence and income.
Ms Daoroung, co-founder of the Bangkok-based Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), says the Prime Minister told them while the Thai government was monitoring the situation, he felt he needed more information before forming a view about a hydro-power dam.
But Mr Vejjajiva did feel there should be a better way to find water for agriculture in north-eastern Thailand than huge projects on the river to channnel water off - as proposed by a previous administration - she said.
Ms Daoroung said environmental groups were pleased they had 30 minutes with the Prime Minister and she understood his wish for more details.
'Big work'
As for the petition, she says that "even though the 16,380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong . . . looking at the process, it's a very big work.
Ms Daoroung says most people approached had not known about the 11 proposed dams.
"This was the very first time this news has reached the people - the people along the Mekong, and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
"But the impressive thing is that 95 percent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support.
"So for us it's a good, good response . . . because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support" such a cause.
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