By Panarat Thepgumpanat
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand has scrapped a Chinese language-led venture to blast rapids on the Mekong River that had been opposed by native individuals and environmental teams, a authorities spokeswoman mentioned on Wednesday.
China initiated a plan to dredge the Mekong River in 2001 to make room for giant ships to hold items from its landlocked southern province of Yunnan to ports in Thailand, Laos, and the remainder of Southeast Asia.
The plan had been opposed by conservationists and communities in Thailand dwelling alongside the Mekong River. They feared it might hurt the atmosphere and profit solely China.
The Thai cupboard agreed to scrap the dredging plan throughout a weekly assembly on Tuesday.
“The communities affected and non-profit teams had been in opposition to the plan, fearing it might have an effect on the lifestyle, and China additionally had no funding for it … So we ended the venture,” mentioned Trisulee Trisaranakul, a deputy authorities spokeswoman.
“It did not take off but. We had been solely doing environmental and social influence assessments,” she instructed Reuters.
The Chinese language embassy in Bangkok was not instantly obtainable for remark.
A Thai cupboard doc mentioned that China had in any case knowledgeable nations on the Mekong River final 12 months that it was not planning to pursue the venture, however work had continued on stretches of the river in Laos and Myanmar.
The Mekong flows from China, the place it is named the Lancang river, by 5 southeast Asian nations.
(Further reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Enhancing by Matthew Tostevin and Louise Heavens)
