Page 51 - งานเชิดชูเกียรติผู้หญิงนักปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชน วันสตรีสากล 2562

The Network of Community-Based Women is a major force
in the struggle of the Rak Nam Un group. Because most men in the
community have to work outside the area to earn money, women
have a leading role in protecting community rights to their homeland.
The Nam Nam Un group coordinates research and collects information
about the impact of the sugar factory. They monitor environmental
analysis reports, submit letters to relevant agencies, and have filed
a lawsuit against the Administrative Court to revoke factory permits.
They also complete EIA reports for the protection of the ecosystem
and the community’s way of life.
During the struggle, many women were intimidated. They faced
threats from security and some government officials, received telephone
calls, were visited at their homes by authorities and even sued. These
measures meant to intimidate the community into stopping its opposition
to the development project.
Through complaints to various agencies, the group demanded
that the proper authorities monitor the private companies and their
impact on the land. These complaints have resulted in bad publicity
for the company, and they filed lawsuits against 20 members of the
village, most of them women.

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