KHON KAEN – A group of locals is planning to escalate their longstanding opposition to a limestone mine in Nong Bua Lamphu’s Suwannakhuha District on Friday amid death threats against one of its advisors.
Lertsak Kumkongsak, a prominent environmental activist, has been receiving several messages with death threats in the past month. It was implied that his assination was imminent if he did not stop the group’s protest. Lertsak said he has been followed and surveilled by unidentified men carrying weapons and has received verbal warnings that he would be shot.
The threats come after the anti-mining group blocked the entrance to the quarry in mid-August and occupied parts of the mine on September 4. The activists plan to reclaim the remaining area on Friday, one day after the company’s mining concession is to expire.
Local communities have opposed the mine for more than 26 years. It is estimated that about 4,000 people in six villages in Dong Mafai subdistrict have been impacted by noise pollution and damage to buildings due to debris caused by explosions at the mine.
Operated by a private company from Udon Thani, the mine occupies the lion’s share of a nearby community forest and has affected locals’ access to food sources in the forest.
In the 1990s, four members of the group were killed but no one has been held responsible for the crimes.
According to the non-governmental organization, Protection International, Thailand has seen more than 70 cases of killings and enforced disappearances of local human rights defenders over the past five decades.
Most of the perpetrators have never been brought to justice and investigations into these crimes by the authorities have seen little or no progress.
As the news of the threats against Lertsak became known today, the hashtag #SaveLertsak was shared on Twitter.