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Old woman and daughter demand redress
SANITSUDA EKACHAI,
Bangkok Post, 13 Aug 2000
Petch Khanjanta was only four years old when all
her family farmland disappeared under the waters of Huay Laha dam in Ubon
Ratchathani.But she still remembers vividly how the dam turned her
life upside down."From a well-to-do family in the village, we suddenly
became paupers," she said.Her mother, Hai Khanjanta, had to forage for fish or clams
in swamps and walk kilometres to exchange them for rice in nearby villages
to feed her 10 children."As her youngest daughter, I followed my mother,
walking barefoot along hot dirt roads. Often, she carried me or put me
in the baskets on her trips."Twenty years on, Petch is still following
her mother's footsteps.Mrs Hai, now 71, is among the oldest grassroots leaders
in the the Assembly of the Poor.Petch, 27, is among the younger ones in the people's movement."My mother is getting old now. I have to continue
her dreams," said Petch, now eight months pregnant with her first
child."Our goal is the same-to fight for justice."Before
the dam, Mrs Hai and her husband owned hundreds of rai of ricefields which
they inherited from both sides of the family."We got everything we needed from our land, be it
food, herbal medicine, firewood, building materials," recalled Mrs
Hai."We thought our land would be enough to support our
10 children. The dam stole everything from us."To survive, all her
children had to drop out of school, and left home at a young age to work
in Bangkok."With our former family background, I could have
easily got a university education," said Petch. "Because of
the dam, I became a child worker in a sweatshop, a servant, a factory
worker, and now a jobless mother."Petch's last job in a dusty textile
factory has left her with breathing problems. As Petch recounted her life
story, Mrs Hai's eyes reflected the silent agony of a mother unable to
alleviate her child's suffering.Huay Laha, as a small dam project for farm irrigation,
is not required by law to give affected villagers any compensation.Petch argued, however, that such projects are legally
required to be on public land or must receive approval from affected villagers.Mrs Hai and her relatives never gave any such permission.Instead, she has been fighting the dam from day one.Her struggle dates back to the Prem Tinsulanonda administration
and it has never stopped.She was asking for compensation back then.But not any more."I want my farmland back," she said firmly.The still water in the reservoir, she explained, has become
putrid and was no longer usable."It's better to open the waterways and drain the
area to return it to the way it used to be."When we have our good land back, we will never have
to fear hunger. I don't want my grandchildren to suffer like my children
have."The struggle is not over yet, and I definitely won't
give up," Mrs Hai said.Petch said she wants her child to inherit the same determination
of her mother."She has fought hard for us and our rights. I'm proud
to be her daughter," said the young mother-to-be, her voice trembling
with emotion.In silence, their eyes met.Mrs Hai's wrinkled, tired face gave her daughter a gentle
smile.The Banthorn Commission's recommendations: Compensation
for villagers who can prove their land rights to a joint committee with
representatives from the Assembly of the Poor.
The Chuan government's resolution: No. The government
has never paid compensation for small dam projects and does not want to
set a precedent. |
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