OPINION: SwedishIndian lawyer and diveinstructor Aruna Singh protests a coal power plant on the tourist island Koh Lanta.
The Island of Koh Lanta and the Krabi province, in Thailand, are battling to save their beloved islands, their National Marine parks and their untouched coral reefs, from a Government Petrochemical Industrial Estate in the south of Thailand.
A 800 MW Coal Plant is to be built in Krabi and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) plans to transport coal from Indonesia up into the Andaman sea into Koh Lanta, where there will be a coal dock.
A shipping lane, with 90 tankers a day, will be built and go right through the National Marine Parks of Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi Islands, up into the mangroves of Krabi and as a result totally ruining one of the most unique coral reefs and eco systems in the whole world The Phi Phi Island and Koh Ha Islands, as it is acknowledged that coal “accidently drops” from the barges into the sea.
When the whole world is focusing on addressing alternative green energies, it is unacceptable that Thailand opts for coal as safe and clean energy as it is notoriously known that coal fly ash pollutes the air with highly toxic carcinogen agents such as arsenic, nickel, benzene, mercury and radiates into its surrounding environment more than a nuclear power.
As EGAT never informed the locals on Koh Lanta and Krabi about the dangers of coal and consequently violated Thai Environmental Law, the Thai Constitution and the Rights of the People, locals request a new public hearing to voice their concern and say NO to Coal.
Please, we ask you to join us in our call to say “No to Coal” and “Yes for the Rule of Law” and to pressure the Environmental and Energy commissions in Bangkok to look into the legality of this project!
Make your voice heard by writing a comment on the following Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/SayNoToKrabiCoalPowerPlant?fref=ts
SwedishIndian Aruna Singh is a lawyer and diveinstructor based in Koh Lanta, Thailand. She also runs a Bed&Breakfast on the island together with her Thai husband.