Thais protest housing project near sacred mountain

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Around 1,000 people protested in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, on Sunday against a disputed construction project for officials, in one of the biggest public demonstrations since the military took over power in 2014.

"Around 1,250 people took part in the protest," Police Colonel Paisan, deputy commander of Chiang Mai Police, told Reuters.

Another police officer, speaking to AFP news agency, put the number at around 1,000, adding that the demonstration was peaceful.

The gathering was one of the largest since Thailand's junta took power following a 2014 coup. The junta imposed a ban on public gatherings of over five people and has largely curbed freedom of expression through various orders and used military and police force to block public gatherings.

Paisan said the organizers on Sunday made a proper request for the gathering beforehand and so the protest was allowed to proceed.

"The protesters were focused on environmental issues and not politics, and they cleaned the street afterwards," he added.

Thai demonstrators dressed in green rally in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on April 29, 2018 to protest against the construction of a government housing project. /VCG Photo

Aerial images of the luxury housing project for officials, carved into the forested foothills of Chiang Mai's Doi Suthep mountain, have circulated on social media over the past few months, inciting public anger.

Protesters say the mountain, which looms over Chiang Mai and hosts a hugely popular temple believed to hold a relic of the Buddha, is a sacred site and a "natural lung" for the north's largest city.

But public officials have defended the project, pointing out construction – which started in 2015 – was legal and on state-owned land, which does not encroach into the national park that covers the mountain.

On Sunday, protesters, many wearing green ribbons and waving flags, called for the demolition of the buildings, saying the government must comply in seven days or face more protests.

"Bring back the forest to Doi Suthep. Bring back the forest to the people," the rally's organizers said in a statement.

Officials have said protesters could face legal action if the housing is demolished and that the homes should be used for 10 years before the public can reassess any environmental impact.

The controversy has touched on long-running frustration over special treatment granted to Thai officials and elites – often at the expense of the public and the environment.

The military government, which has promised to hold an election next year, has faced a growing number of public protests in recent months, including a pro-democracy demonstration in Bangkok last month demanding the military withdraw support for the ruling junta.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters