Korat locals rally against new potash mining concessions

Nakhon Ratchasima residents gathered outside the venue of the mobile Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to protest against the government’s plan to grant more mining concessions in their province. They also demanded compensation for the impact existing mines have had on their lives.

The protesters gathered outside the front gate of the Rajabhat Rangsarit Hall of Rajabhat Nakhon Ratchasima University at 9am for a chance to submit a letter to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, demanding that no more potash mining concessions be granted in the province, which is also known as Korat.

However, the government officials took a detour and entered the venue through another gate.

The protesters hailed from Non Thai, Non Sung and Muang districts where concessionaires are surveying potash mining sites. Many protesters also came from the Dan Khun Thot district where potash mines are operating.

The banners they carried displayed photographs of the potash mines and salt spills that have damaged the rice fields of nearby communities.

Their leaders took turns in speaking against the government’s plans and demanded that the PM receive their letter personally or they would symbolically set it on fire.

The leaders claimed that despite the potential environmental damage and adverse impact on locals, Srettha has instructed relevant agencies to speed up the opening of more potash mines.

Shifting the goalpost

They also noted that the government has expanded the initial goal of mining just 800,000 tonnes of potash to make fertilisers for local farms to more than 3 million tonnes to make fertiliser for export.

Another protest leader said that though it is not certain if Srettha will be ousted for appointing a person with a questionable background as PM’s Office minister, it is imperative that he do some good for the people and cancel the opening of more potash mines.

The protesters had previously submitted similar letters of protest to Srettha during two mobile Cabinet meetings in other provinces.

During the protest on Tuesday, Industry Minister Pimpatra Wichaikul came out to receive the letter on Srettha’s behalf.

She initially waited behind the gate for the protest leaders to hand her the letter through the bars, but one leader declared over the loudspeaker that it looked like she was visiting prisoners.

This prompted the crowd-control police and guards to open the gate for her to step out and receive the letter. The protesters also poured some salt on the ground in front of her, saying this had been collected from their contaminated rice fields.

The leaders also demanded that the government cancel a new master plan on mineral resource management related to potash mining. They alleged that the master plan would allow new potash mines to be opened without assessing the environmental impact. They also accused the government of shifting the goal of mining potast to just reduce imports to mining to increase exports.

They also called on the government to urgently carry out a study on the environmental damage caused and the impact on communities in Dan Khun Thod, as well as provide rehabilitation to affected villagers.
 

‘Take our corpses with you’

A protest leader said that if the government goes ahead with the policy, it would be tantamount to ignoring people’s quality of life. He added that the first bag of fertiliser made with potash from the new mine would be soaked in people’s tears.

“If you really want to go ahead with making fertiliser this way, then you may as well take our corpses to make it,” the protest leader said.

Last month, Pichit Sombatmak, director-general of the Department of Mineral Resources, boasted that there was about 161 trillion baht to be made from some 10 billion tonnes of potash that can be mined in 10 areas in the Northeast. He said potash can be used to make fertilisers as well as EV battery cells.