By Rin Sohsai In early October, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) sent a letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister expressing serious concerns about the plans for four more hydropower projects to be built on the mainstream of the Mekong River near the Thai-Lao territorial border— namely, the Sanakham, Pak Chom, Ban Kum and…
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Placing the Interests of the Public and Planet at the Center of Thailand’s Power Development Plan 2024
By Rin Sohsai and Tanya Lee Roberts-Davis. Originally published in the Bangkok Tribune. Opinion piece highlights are below. In the coming months, Thailand’s updated draft Power Development Plan (PDP 2024-2037) is due to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. This master plan underwent limited online public hearings in mid-June. Yet to date, the text…
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Sites of Struggle and Sacrifice: Mapping Destructive Dam Projects along the Mekong River
by Pai Deetes, Phairin Sohsai and Tanya L. Roberts Davis Today, International Rivers is releasing a map illustrating sites of struggle along the Mekong River where communities and allied civil society groups have been able to hold their ground —significantly delaying the planned development of destructive hydropower dams — and sacrifice zones where the build…
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PRESS RELEASE | Historic Asia Women and Rivers Congress Unites Over 125 Women Leaders Calling for Equity and Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 10, 2024 Congress photos here MEDIA CONTACTS: Lin Hnin Aye, Oxfam, lin.hninaye@oxfam.org + 95 9 761 994118 Bonnie Barclay, International Rivers, bbarclay@internationalrivers.org, +1 323 363 4874 Thailand – Over 125 women leaders and partners from 18 countries convened in Chiang Rai, Thailand, for the Asia Women and Rivers Congress, a…
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Women and Rivers Learning Paper: Lessons from Co-Creation of a Platform for Women in Water Governance in the Mekong Region
Published in partnership with Open Development Mekong All over the world, women play a critical role in providing, managing and safeguarding water resources. Yet too often, governments ignore women’s lives and perspectives when making decisions about water. Years of experience have shown us that dams and other water infrastructure impact communities in gendered ways. Dam projects…
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PRESS RELEASE | Vietnamese Climate Defenders Honored in New 1-Minute Video During Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 9, 2024 #StandwithBach #FreeHong MEDIA CONTACT: maia@ripplestrategies.com www.standwithbach.org Please Share: English Version Here; Vietnamese Version Here Today, in time for Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year which begins on February 10, the Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition, a group of over 30 international climate justice and human rights organizations, launched this video…
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Salween communities file lawsuit to halt the Yuam/Salween Water Diversion Project
by Pianporn Deetes, Regional Campaigns Director, Southeast Asia Program October 18, 2023 – Over 80 people gathered at the Chiang Mai Administrative Court in Thailand today to mark the filing of a lawsuit against the Yuam/Salween Water Diversion Project. The lawsuit challenges the legitimacy of the project and the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA), which…
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Mekong River defender Niwat Roykaew wins award
On Thursday, October 12, Mekong River defender Niwat Roykaew became the first Thai to receive the Leader on the Frontlines Award from the Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organisation based in San Francisco, California. Niwat Roykaew also known as “Kru Thi”, is the chair of the Chiang Khong Conservation Group and director of Mekong…
Read MoreDeveloping news: Controversial Pak Beng Dam on the Mekong hits major milestone, despite warnings of widespread damage to environment and people
On September 13, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, or EGAT, signed a Power Purchase Agreement for the controversial Pak Beng Dam on the main stem of the Mekong River. Located in northern Lao PDR, Pak Beng would be built on the Lower Mekong mainstream and is expected to displace people in over 25 villages….
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The Future of Thailand’s Rivers is in the Hands of its Prime Minister
Originally published in the Bangkok Post by Pai Deetes, “Future of rivers in PM’s hands” In a speech to Parliament on 11 September, the new Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisn, outlined policies, commitments and actions his government will take over the next four years for the “benefit and happiness of all Thai people.” While limited…
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องค์กรประชาสังคมออกแถลงการณ์เรียกร้องการเยียวยาที่มีประสิทธิภาพแก่ผู้ประสบภัยเขื่อนลาวแตก
6 องค์กรภาคประชาสังคมประกอบด้วย KTNC Watch, Manushya Foundation, Inclusive Development International, International Rivers, Community Resource Centre (CRC), Thailand, ETOs Watch Coalition ,Fair Finance Thailand, Mekong Watch ได้ออกแถลงการณ์ครบรอบ 5 ปีเหตุการณ์เขื่อนเซเปียน เซน้ำน้อยที่แขวงอัตตะปือแตก เมื่อวันที่ 23 กรกฎาคม 2018 โดยเขื่อนเสริม (Saddle D) ของโครงการไฟฟ้าพลังน้ำเซเปียน-เซน้ำน้อยในลาวพังทลายคร่าชีวิตผู้คน 71 คน ไร้ที่อยู่อาศัยนับพัน น้ำท่วมบ้านเรือนและหมู่บ้าน ห้าปีหลังจากเหตุการณ์อันน่าสลดใจนี้ ผู้รอดชีวิตยังคงไม่ได้รับการชดเชยหรือการเยียวยาที่เพียงพอ และยังคงต้องทนทุกข์ทรมานจากผลกระทบของภัยพิบัติ องค์กรภาคประชาสังคมกำลังเรียกร้องให้บริษัทและรัฐบาลที่เกี่ยวข้อง รวมถึงบริษัทก่อสร้างคือ SK Ecoplant และผู้พัฒนาและบริหารบริษัทเซเปียนเซน้ำน้อยพาวเวอร์( Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company (PNPC)) ตลอดจนรัฐบาลลาวและสาธารณรัฐเกาหลี ซึ่งเป็นผู้ให้ทุนสนับสนุนความช่วยเหลือด้านการพัฒนาที่เป็นทางการ(Official…
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