Thousands of Thai people rallied in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani on Wednesday, demanding the government permanently open sluice gates of the Pak Moon dam, Bangkok Post online reported.
The protesters, led by Somparn Khuendee, Assembly of the Poor's coordinator, rallied in front of Ubon Ratchathani city hall. They also urge the government to compensate the people affected by the dam's construction.
If the government failed to comply with the demand, the Assembly of the Poor would hold a prolonged rally in front of the Ubon Ratchathani city hall, she said.
The provincial authorities provided an area for members of the assembly to rally in peace.
On December 25 last year, PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey promised to seek cabinet approval for the proposed permanent opening of the dam's sluice gates.
Sathit chairs a government panel looking into the impact of the dam in Khong Chiam district and the grievances of affected residents, which recommended that all sluice gates be permanently opened to allow fish from the Mekong River to spawn in the Moon River and compensation be paid to affected residents.
Completed in 1994, the dam was constructed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand with support from the World Bank at a total cost of 240 million U.S. dollars.
The project has been criticised for harming fisheries in the Moon River, failing to produce the projected power output, and inadequately compensating affected residents.
The immediate impact of the dam was to flood 117 square kilometres of land and displace around 3,000 families.