Ex-senator blames officials for scale of disaster Lawyers Council seeks evidence of govt failure

Poor management, rather than huge amounts of rainfall, was to blame for the country's worst flooding in decades, a seminar has been told.

Former senator Sophon Supapong said yesterday flood damage could have been minimized if there had been better management of rising reservoir levels and drainage of run-off.

He said the run-off from the North flowed directly into Bangkok via Ayutthaya when it should have been diverted to the water catchment areas in the east of capital.

Mr Sophon said water and flood management procedures were politicized. He cited the opening of floodgates and breaches of flood barriers by certain groups.

Mr Sophon's comments were welcomed by participants at a seminar held at the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

The forum sought to find out what, if any, evidence there was for a growing campaign to sue the government for negligently handling the flood.

The Lawyers Council of Thailand has agreed to gather details and study how to proceed with such a case.

Jetsada Anujaree of the Lawyers Council said a suit could be filed if it could be established that the floods were caused by mismanagement or negligence. 

He was referring to news reports that two ministers obstructed the release of water to allow farmers downstream to harvest their crops.

"If we can prove that their action has resulted in overall mismanagement, they must be held responsible," he said.

Mr Jetsada also said the council will ask a judge to order state agencies to work out a natural disaster prevention and mitigation plan.

"Such a plan is essential and must go ahead," he added.

Sasin Chalermlarp, secretary-general of Seub Nakasathien Foundation, told the seminar he suspected there was a lack of unity in flood and water management. 

He said flooding was not unusual in the Central Plains, but it took too long for the government to drain the run-off to the sea as planned.

Natchapol Kerdkasem, a community leader, said residents in Bangkok will meet the governor on Nov 28 to propose their own rehabilitation plans. 

He added that each group would also put forward a flood prevention and management plan, which is a community right recognized by the charter.

Mr Natchapol said he was concerned that communities which clashed with authorities over flood barriers would be turned into scapegoats to let the government off the hook.

"The sight of people destroying flood-walls will be used to justify why flood management failed," he said.

Dutch offer assistance with water management

The Dutch Ambassador and a team of water management experts from The Netherlands met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the 10-strong Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management at Government House yesterday to discuss possible solutions to Thailand's flood crisis.

Committee member Dr Anond Snidwong na Ayudhaya revealed it was initially con?cluded that a water seminar be hosted early next year and Thai social experts such as Chulalongkorn University (CU) political scientist Surachai Wankaew be invited to join the water resources body.

Dutch Ambassador Johannes Andries Boer led a team of water management experts from the Netherlands to talk with Yingluck and rep?resentatives from the strategic committee such as Anond, Seri Supparathit and Veera Wongsaengnak.

Following the meeting, Anond said the Netherlands offered to organise a seminar for knowledge exchange with Thailand in the format of a "Water Fair" in February 2012. 

But Yingluck would like to organise it earlier, so she assigned Anond to discuss details further with the ambas?sador.

The Netherlands also offered to sign an MOU with Thailand to expand relations from aca?demic cooperation to possible joint investments. The premier initially accepted the offer but wanted to study the details fur?ther, he said.

Anond noted that things had to be done carefully as water management involved not only physical aspects but also bio-systems and social aspects.

"I believe water manage?ment isn't just bringing water engineers to talk but should consider the social conditions in Thailand, which has its specifics. Hence even the best social expert from the Netherlands may not under?stand [things here]," he said.

"We have to consider these points for society to set the direction together and prevent any conflict," he said.

Therefore Thailand would invite its social experts to work with the strategic committee, such as CU Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies director Surachai Wankaew, he said.

Anond said that as well as the offers discussed, the Netherlands also offered to make a flood analysis to try show the strong and weak points of Thailand's water man?agement system.

As several such studies were being carried out but had not crystallized yet, he said this could lead to the setting of clear terms of reference for a study, so that results would lead to practical guidelines that could be implemented.

He said a master plan being formulated by the strategic committee should be complet?ed in nine months - near the end of the 2012 fiscal year - so it could be implemented straight away in the next fiscal year.