The gold mine operated by Tungkum Limited (TKL), received the operational licence in 2006. Villagers in the Na Nong Bong community in Loei province live less than 2.5 kilometers from the mine. Since 2006 they have filed complaints against the mine's license in the attempts to mitigate the contamination of their villages. The gold mine was accused of poisoning the villagers’ |
Loei villagers fight to stop the operation of Tungkum Ltd. gold mine; they built walls to block the road and denounced the contamination of water and land with cyanide, arsenic, and mercury
Description
Basic Data
| Name | Loei gold mine, Thailand |
| Country | Thailand |
| Province | Loei Province |
| Site | Wang Saphung district |
| Accuracy of Location | MEDIUM regional level |
Source of Conflict
| Type of Conflict (1st level) | Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction |
| Type of Conflict (2nd level) | Land acquisition conflicts Mineral ore exploration Mineral processing |
| Specific Commodities | Gold |
Project Details and Actors
| Project Details | Gold mine operated by Tungkum Ltd. (TKL), a subsidiary of Tongkah Harbour PCL. Project development and plant construction were completed in May 2006 and commercial operations began in September 2006 with daily throughput capacity of 1,200 to 1,500 ton per day (TPD). In 2006, 176,785 tons of ore were mined, milled and processed. The Company expects to process about 440,000 tons of ore per annum. In 2007, TKL produced 17,485 ounces of gold which was all sold within the year [1]. |
| Project Area (in hectares) | 207 |
| Type of Population | Rural |
| Potential Affected Population | 3,000-4,000 |
| Start Date | 2006 |
| Company Names or State Enterprises | Tungkum Limited (TKL) from Thailand |
| Relevant government actors | The Ministery of Health Wang Samphung District Officer Abhisit administration Gobernet cabinet resolution |
| Environmental justice organisations and other supporters | Network of Lecturers and Students for Society and the Environment Environmental activist group Ecological Alert and Recovery — Thailand (EARTH). http://earththailand.org/en/ International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/thailand/ Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group (KRBKG): a community-based group committed People Who Love Their Hometown (PWLTH): Na Nong Bong anti-mining group CIEE: Khon Kaen’s Development and Globalization The Human Rights Law Center for Society Servicios Universitarios Y Redes de Conocimientos en Oaxaca A.C. (SURCO) |
The Conflict and the Mobilization
| Intensity of Conflict (at highest level) | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
| When did the mobilization begin | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
| Groups Mobilizing | Indigenous groups or traditional communities International ejos Local ejos Women Na Nong Bong Community |
| Forms of Mobilization | Artistic and creative actions (eg guerilla theatre, murals) Blockades Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..) Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Development of alternative proposals Involvement of national and international NGOs Media based activism/alternative media Public campaigns Street protest/marches Children’s choir and singing songs about the story of the community and whay they are fighting for. The lyrics said ”The food is ours, we will protect our village, because we love our home”. They said “we want the mine to be shut down and the land restored” “we want to see this village have its old way of life back” |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Air pollution, Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Noise pollution, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills Potential: Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Food insecurity (crop damage) |
| Health Impacts | Visible: Other environmental related diseases |
| Other | There is a cyanide, arsenic, and mercury in people's blood |
| Socio-economic Impacts | Visible: Loss of livelihood, Specific impacts on women, Violations of human rights, Loss of landscape/sense of place, Increase in violence and crime Potential: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures |
Outcome
| Project Status | Stopped |
| Pathways for conflict outcome / response | Criminalization of activists Court decision (victory for environmental justice) Strengthening of participation The expansion of mine licenses in the province was stopped |
| Development of Alternatives | To create a new law that includes people participation in order to determine their own future (villages/local people future) |
| Do you consider this as a success? | Not Sure |
| Why? Explain briefly. | The expansion of licenses in the province were paralized by the goverment and the mine operation was stopped. However the social, economical and environmental negative impacts of its operations continued in the area. The military have pressured the villagers not to make any move concerning the mine and environmental issues. "The military invoked martial law to force the villagers to stop a planned activity to raise environmental concerns. The military also confiscated a stereo belonging to the villagers"[9]. |
Sources and Materials
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Meta Information
| Contributor | SM (ICTA-UAB) and Carros de Combate |
| Last update | 31/10/2016 |
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