[sustran] Ban Krua opposition

Craig Townsend townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au
Wed Mar 22 02:16:37 JST 2000


Here is the latest news from the Ban Krua saga in Bangkok. Ban Krua is a
200-year-old community of Muslim Chams from Cambodia who were settled in
Bangkok (the community is now in the centre of the Bangkok urban region) by
King Rama I in recognition of their loyal military service to Siam. A
century later, when French gunboats advanced up the Chao Phraya River
during the reign of King Rama V, Muslim seamen fought fiercely for Siamese
independence. Half were killed and are buried in Ban Krua's three Muslim
cemetaries. In 1987, one of these cemetaries and a mosque were targeted for
destruction to make way for an elevated expressway. Intended to serve the
World Trade Centre shopping centre owned by an influential Tejapaibul
family, the proposed two kilometre expressway approach ramp would displace
about 320 families. Residents protested and delayed the project. In 1993
the Ban Krua committee forced a series of public hearings and the
government came down on the side of the residents, judging the access road
as unecessary and the costs of relocation too high. In spite of this
decision, the ETA has continued to push for construction. In September 1999
the project owner, Bangkok Expressway Plc (BECL), sent 50 workers and
engineers into the area to demolish buildings. After a tense five-hour
standoff the construction teams were forced out of the area.

>From the Bangkok Post Internet Edition 21 March 2000

Land acquisition at a standstill: Community firm in opposition to ETA

by Supoj Wancharoen

The years-long process of land expropriation in Ban Krua for an expressway
is practically at a standstill.

Preecha Srithongsuk, governor of the Expressway and Rapid Transit
Authority, said in the last three years only two blocks of land have been
acquired. The agency needs 110 plots for the expressway.

On the other hand, land expropriation in surrounding areas including
Pathumwan Technical College and communities in Hua Chang has made good
progress, he said.

The ETA is scheduled to hand over the land to Bangkok Expressway Co Ltd, a
construction firm, in October. The deadline has been extended from October
1998.

The slow progress is due to resistance by the Ban Krua Muslim community,
who want the project scrapped.

The expressway authority plans to expropriate part of the community to
build a two-kilometre elevated expressway link from Urupong to Ratchadamri
Road.

The link, called a Collector/Distributor or CD Road, is designed as part of
the second-stage expressway system aimed to help traffic flow in
Ratchadamri, Phloen Chit and Pratu Nam areas, and feed traffic to the
system operated by Bangkok Expressway.

The dispute has been noisy and ugly.

Ruengrit Poonsawat, former ETA governor, put on a brave face and met
community residents only to be greeted with boos and jeers. The community
residents also burned the leaflets distributed by the ETA governor and his
team.

The publicity has been bad for the Muslim community but residents claimed
they felt insecure due to rumours that some government agencies were
setting fires to evict people.

Saroj Lueksamlee, one of the community's leaders, said security has been
tightened since the row broke out.

Guards are placed around-the-clock to watch out for strangers and drug
problems, he said. [Suspicious fires in the community have been a regular
occurence over the last decade.]

However, the dispute has been quiet for some time, thanks partly to the
economic downturn which has dried up financial resources.

Yet the truce may only be temporary as the expressway authority chief says
the land expropriation programme will definitely proceed.

Mr Preecha said he did not know if the construction firm would like to
continue with the project.

"But one thing is sure. We are obligated to honour the contract and give
the company the land," the governor said.

He said he would adopt a soft approach in dealing with Ban Krua community
and try to make the residents understand the need for that particular
section of the expressway.

Legal action would be the last recourse if talks fail, he said.

Meanwhile, a source at ETA said the agency was likely to ask to extend the
deadline again and the company was likely to grant it.

"Considering the economic situation, the company will have difficulty
finding financial sources to fund construction. So when the builder doesn't
push for the land, the ETA doesn't want to push the matter either," the
source said.

Payao Marittanaporn, assistant managing director of Bangkok Expressway,
said the company could not say anything until the land is handed over.

________________________________________________
Craig Townsend
Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy
Murdoch University
South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150

tel: (61 8) 9360 6293
fax: (61 8) 9360 6421
email: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au



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