FREE " betel juice" in Udon Thani

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March 21, 2007 : Last updated 04:42 pm (Thai local time)


The Nation


Protesters disrupt public hearing on potash-mining project

Udon Thani - Hundreds of protesters Wednesday surrounded Udon Thani Rajabhat University's president Charoon Thavornchak and splashed betel juice on his face to express their opposition against a potash-mining project in this northeastern province.

Charoon chairs a panel appointed by the Udon Thani provincial authority to gather local people's opinions about the project. However, he was seen as favouring the project.

Wednesday was the third day and the last day Charoon's panel planned to explain what the potash-mine project was about, and how it would benefit or affect local people at public forums.

The betel juice was also hurled at staffers who tried to bring Charoon out of the crowds of protesters.

The turmoil took place at around 9.30 am just after Charoon arrived at the Ban Huai Sam Pard School in Prachak Silapakhom subdistrict to begin the forum in which local people could raise questions and his panel would answer.

The Nation

[beer monkey]

Whoooooa, wonder who had the job of Chewing the nuts to get the juice out,they may just as well have spat in their faces.

[len ames]

the locals no what potash can do to your body and don,t want anythink
to do with it

[cookie]

I wonder what will win the fight in the long run,
business and money or the will of the people????????

[FrazeeDK]

The Udon potash mining concession has been in and out of the news for years.. The question is... What's actually going on at the mine location about 10km south of Ban Non Soong and about 3km east of RTE 2 (just east of the railway line).. Early last year the Canadian mining Co. sold out it's concession to a Thai Company..
You can bet with the huge amounts of money to be made off this mine that it'll happen sooner or later...
Next time I'm driving down to the kin folk who live near the area I'll swing past the map location of the mining concession to see if there's any development...