Joint events
Dialogue Forums with Bangkok Tribune News Agency
Throughout the year 2020, Project SEVANA joined with another two organizations in supporting the new news agency Bangkok Tribune for the first year after its establishment. The four organization; Bangkok Tribune News Agency, Thai Society of Environmental Journalists (TSEJ), SEA-Junction, and Project SEVANA co-organized 9 Dialogue Forums, monthly forums which are expected to “bridge the gap” and “connect the dots” of different views and opinions as well as bits of information on social and environmental issues to create one big picture for better understanding in society.
Find more details on the 9 dialogue forums here;
14 May - EVENT: DIALOGUE FORUM 1: DIGITAL DISRUPTION AND A PUSH FOR SOUND PUBLIC POLICIES
Live: https://youtu.be/4yMf_0PKm_E
18 June - DIALOGUE FORUM 2: OUR WILD, OUR CLIMATE: THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN POST COVID-19
Live: https://fb.watch/31sLMRzNzo/
30 June - DIALOGUE FORUM 3: OUR WILD, OUR CLIMATE: ENDING WILDLIFE TRADE AND HABITAT EXPLOITATION IN POST COVID-19
Live: https://fb.watch/31sGPzCb58/
29 July - DIALOGUE FORUM 4: THE MEKONG RUNS DRY?: GOVERNANCE IN TRANSITION
Dialogue Forum 4: The Mekong runs dry?: Governance in transition | Bangkok Tribune (bkktribune.com)
Live: https://fb.watch/31sDH86Wef/
26 August - DIALOGUE FORUM 5: SURGE IN PLASTIC WASTE DURING COVID-19 AND THE ROADMAP TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT
Live: https://fb.watch/31sAeDd-5y/
30 September DIALOGUE FORUM 6 (IN THAI): A BAN ON TOXIC FARM CHEMICALS: THAILAND’S LONG ROAD TO FOOD SAFETY AND THE “(SAFE) KITCHEN OF THE WORLD”
Live:https://fb.watch/31svheMDiV/
29 October - DIALOGUE FORUM 7: THAILAND’S HAZARDOUS WASTE SITUATION AND EFFORTS TO CLEAR THE “WORLD’S TRASH BIN”
Live: https://fb.watch/31ssN-w63O/
24 November - DIALOGUE FORUM 8: THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES UNDER THAILAND’S CONSTITUTIONS: PROGRESS AND SETBACKS
LIve: https://fb.watch/31spuuJNYl/
22 December - YEAR-END DIALOGUE FORUM | GREEN RECOVERY: MOVING BEYOND THE PANDEMIC
LIve: https://fb.watch/31slks6wGd/
From the Regional Economic Integration to Special Economic Zone: 3 Decades of Land Dispossession in Mekong Region - 16 Nov 2019
The Press Meeting/Conference title "From the Regional Economic Integration to Special Economic Zone: 3 Decades of Land Dispossession in Mekong Region" organised at Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand (FCCT) on the 16 November 2019 by Land Watch Thai
The panelists in this press conference/briefing are;
- Pornpana Kuaycharoen, Land Watch Thai
- Somnuk Jongmewasin, EEC Watch
- Amornsak Panyacharoensri, the Coastal Fishing Association of Chonburi
- Pham Van Dung, CIRRUM, Vietnam
- An Rama, Cambodia Labor Confederation, Cambodia
- Soe Shwe, Myanmar SEZ Watch
Moderate by Premrudee Daoroung, Project SEVANA South-East Asia
Watch the live video of this forum here: https://fb.watch/2YTdg9_ILF/
Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy: The search for Accountability, one year after the Laos dam collapse - 23 July 2019
The report launch and panel discussion organized on 23 July 2019 at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) upon the release of the report "Reckless Endangerment Assessing Responsibility for the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Dam Collapse". This report is dedicated to those who perished in the Xe PianXe Namnoy tragedy, their loved ones, and to the many others who have suffered adverse impacts due to this project, largely without recognition or redress.
Panelists;
- Maureen Harris, International Rivers
- Craig Bradshaw of Inclusive Development International
- Premrudee Daoroung, Laos Dam Investment Monitor
- Andrea Giorgetta, International Federation for Human Rights
Moderator: Gary Lee, International Rivers
Watch the live-stream of the event here: 2019 07 23 Xe Pian Xe Namnoy The search for accountability one year after the Laos dam collapse - YouTube
Read the full report here:
https://www.inclusivedevelopment.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/reckless_endangerment_final_for_web.pdf
News coverage
Take Action - XPXN Accountability
9 Aug 2019 - Dam Break in Northeast Laos Causes Heavy Losses For Locals, Builder (malaysiasun.com)
2 August 2019 Mekong runs dry as politics, business fail local communities (nationthailand.com)
2 Aug Mekong runs dry as politics, business fail local communities (nationthailand.com)
28 July 2019 - One year from Laos dam collapse, insurers urged to help - Nikkei Asia
25 July 2019 - Missing Mekong waters rouse suspicions of China | Reuters
24 July 2019 A year after the Laos dam collapse homeless survivors wait for help | The Thaiger
24 July 2019 -Stop work on Lao dam and help victims: groups – Asia Times
24 July 2019 Families Search for Recompense a Year After Deadly Laos Dam Collapse | Voice of America - English (voanews.com)
24 July 2019 Stop work on Lao dam and help victims: groups – Asia Times
24 July 2019 Families Search for Recompense a Year After Deadly Laos Dam Collapse | Voice of America - English (voanews.com)
23 July 2019 Dam disaster that ‘no one’ caused, one year on (nationthailand.com)
Thai court inquiry on Cambodia land grabbing and Mitr Phol - 12-14 June 2019
The court Inquiry on the sugarcane plantation and land grabbing in Oddor Meanchey Province, Cambodia between the local community representatives and Thailand’s Mitr Phol CompanyLimited (12th-14th June 2019)
As the part of the farmer/land campaigner network, the local community from the O’Bat Muan Community that faced the land grabbing and village burnt down caused by the sugarcane plantation of Thailand’s Mitr Phol Company has put the case on the Thai court to sue the company. The court case happened a month after the exchange project being organised in Thailand.
The court inquiry has occurred at the Southern Bangkok Civil Court for the consideration of whether the trial will be treated as a class action lawsuit. The Thai, Cambodia and the international team of lawyers are working together on the case. The court testify was involved by two local people from the ex-O’Bat Moan Village and Project SEVANA Coordinator, Ms. Premrudee Daoroung, as she was leading the research framework/process to study on the people’s livelihood and the situation relating to the land grabbing in O'Bat Muan community back to the year 2014. The report that came out from the research was the key material for the Thai Human Rights Commission (THRC). Most of the content from the report was putting in the THRC investigation report that came out in 2015.
See more details of the case at <https://www.inclusivedevelopment.net/mitr-phol/
See the full THRC report at http://www.sevanasea.org/reports.html
See news and update about the court inquiry:
Cambodians to appeal ruling in Mitr Phol case (bangkokpost.com)l
Cambodian villagers to appeal Thai court's rejection of suit against sugar giant | Reuters
IDI, EC and LICADHO complaint to UK NCP about Bonsucro Ltd - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Cambodian farmers battle in landmark lawsuit against Thai sugar firm | Life | Malay Mail
Public Forum "Broken Dams, Broken System: Civic Engagement, Social Responsibility, and Alternatives to Dams" , 24th October 2018
Venue: Subaltern Meeting Room,
RCSD The Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University
Southeast Asian states deregulate their borders to welcome a broad range of foreign investments and establish laws and regulations to facilitate those investments. In particular, hydropower has increased foreign investment and foreign development aid to support the construction of dams.
This has led to community “counter-movements” in areas affected by hydropower dams, as seen in Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam collapse in 2018, Yali dam collapse in 2004, Lower Sesan 2 resettlement and compensation, and more. Local communities are calling for protection and sustainable livelihoods; local NGOs have vocalized their demands.
In this event, we look at the future of civic engagement in decision-making processes on hydropower regimes in Southeast Asia. Ms. Premrudee Daoroung from Project SEVANA South-East Asia/Laos Dam Investment Monitor will provide insights into the relevant stakeholders and their roles in hydropower investment in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Ta-Wei Chu, a lecturer at the Department of Social Science and Development at Chiang Mai University and Mr. Sipha Chanthavong, PhD Candidate, Chiang Mai University, will share his views on the roles of academics in dam issues and civic engagement in dam projects.
Prof. Philip Hirsch discuss the social, environmental and legal implications of hydropower dams in Southeast Asia.
Dams, disaster and ecological justice: Hydropower legacies in the Mekong - 18 October 2018
Panel Discussion and Forum "Dam, disaster and ecological Justice: Hydropower legacies and ecological in the Mekong" organized on 18 October 2018 at Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand (FCCT).
The panelists in this panel are;
- Bruce Shoemaker, Co-editor, 'Dead in the Water: Global Lessons from the World Bank's Model Hydropower Project in Laos'
- Premrudee Daoroung, Laos Dam Investment Monitor (LDIM)
- Niwat Roykaew, Chiang Khong Conservation Group
- Maureen Harris, International Rivers
- News and media coverage
Watch the video of the forum here: https://fb.watch/2_E5hbMZB5/
News and media coverage
New Delhi Time - https://www.newdelhitimes.com/water-experts-question-world-banks-role-in-laos-dam/?fbclid=IwAR14QeTwP6A5M9DKz5-BFQf8EkBybx4A65ZgQmCysPbPHzuWuXbUw9znG8
Chanel 3 Television (Thailand) http://news.ch3thailand.com/rerun/8/14819?fbclid=IwARiRmCwZsDd5t-rHa5vQm5428iio5yPhP3lXYEcf3XEv1vgqHRmJp7sqGo
Transborder News (Thailand) http://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=19589&fbclid=IwAR3FcUz9O19JN3o-FuNqfIiAPQ6Gae4XSnbFHGoz55g3JbGnRuktGF_ZRc
