People’s Politics : Lesson Learned from Eastern People’s Network

Abstract

       The Industrial development in Mub Ta put industrial estate from its establishment in twentieth century, caused the great impact to the community in eastern part of Thailand and was accumulated consecutively. The government and related organizations were unable to solve the problems efficiently.

     This was the reason that people who live around Mab Ta Phut area were unite as Eastern region People’s network.

     The network has changed the only way from their movement at the public space to accused the Administrative Court for Pollution Control Zone in Map Ta Phut. This was an important changing strategy that effective than masses in public space, by using Constitution, Acts and related law included valuable data. Then, the court ordered to declaring Map Ta Phut and nearby areas as pollution control zone in 2552 and the prosecution suspended 76 violent project, in the same year.

     Network used “people’s politics” as identity, to take advantage, to legitimate and to reduced stress and the pressure to the movement and also to strengthen participation in the movement. This was lead to  cooperation with the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that network coordinator have joined together.

     Eastern People’s Network has been recognized by scholars and activists as a success case that raised pollution issues to public and effective impact to the government and investors. The movements can enforcement public policy. For scholars, the Eastern People’s Network movement was powerful and can drive policy in highly successful. But for the people, they are lose. The government, every level had not been fair to them.There are neither law enforcement in pollution control zone nor implementation in policy. These are limitations of politics in Thailand, due to state power, economic policies to support industry investment, government do not take the people issue seriously. These limitations making the political opportunities of the people become a political trap and making people participatory in the political process become an instrument of legitimizing the state.

     The relationship between the network and People’s Alliance for Democracy, during the formation of political conflict has affected the weakness of the network. And lead to declining of the Eastern People’s Network