The Struggle of Villagers in Chana District, Southern Thailand
in Defence of Community Land and Religion against the Trans Thai-Malaysian Pipeline and Industrial Project (TTM) 2002-2008
first published 1 August 2008
Since 1999, villagers in politically-troubled southern Thailand have been fighting the Trans Thai-Malaysia (TTM) gas pipeline and gas separation plant scheme. The project, promoted by Thailand's recently-ousted tycoon prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and backed by a consortium of international banks including Barclays, HSBC and ING, has illegally taken over Muslim communal 'waqf' land and other public lands, illegally hired police as private guards, deployed violence and threats against villagers, severely damaged livelihoods and the local environment, violated human rights, and, in the words of local people, "trampled on the principles of Islam".
In words and pictures, this newly-updated 235-page book (3,650 KB) recounts seven years of determined struggle by local people against TTM and the forces, both local and international, ranged behind it. Most of it was written by local activists themselves and features their own voices.
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