Page 27 - รายงานการปฏิบัติตามกติการะหว่างประเทศว่าด้วยสิทธิทางเศรษฐกิจ สังคม และวัฒนธรรม

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Ministry then issued an announcement of 31 August 2010 requiring

as many as seven types of projects that need to undertake environment

and health impact assessment fewer than those proposed by the

Four-party Committee. This has resulted in almost all of the projects,

which were suspended earlier by the court order, to proceed further

with implementation as the Court used the announcement of 31 August

2010 as a basis for considering the case. The NHRCT is concerned that

the types of projects in the August 2010 announcement may not cover

all types of industrial undertakings and economic development activities

that may impact on the environment and natural resources, thus

increasing the risk of the people to harmful effects of such activities and

at the same time impinging on their right to live in a healthy and safe

environment.

11. When it was quite clear in 1994 that residents of Map Ta Phut

and nearby areas suffered from environmental pollution, the

government did not made serious efforts to redress the situation

and protect the right of the people to live in an environment not

harmful to their health. The problem continued for several years as

can be seen from the result of air quality survey in Map Ta Phut

conducted by the Pollution Control Department in 2005 and the

study by independent experts in 2006 revealing DNA abnormality in

the sample population. The local residents thus had to resort to the

Court for protection which resulted in a court order to the government

to declare Map Ta Phut and nearby areas a pollution control zone in