Child rights organisations have urged a gold mine operator in Thailand’s northeast to drop a criminal defamation lawsuit against a 10th grade student for allegations that the company polluted her village.   On Wednesday, 16 December 2015, 22 civil society organisations on child rights and protection issued a joint statement, urging Tungkam Co. Ltd., a gold mining company operating in Wang Saphung District of northeastern Loei Province, to drop a lawsuit against Wanphen Khunna, a grade 10 student from Si Songkhram School in the district.

A gold mine company is threatening to sue a high school student who reported the environmental effects of mining activities in Isan, Thailand’s northeast. On 4 September 2015, Suphab Phrommanee, the village chief of Ban Phuthapfa Phattana, Khao Luang Subdistrict, Wang Saphung District, Loei Province, summoned Wanphen Khunna, a grade 10 student from Si Songkhram School and her family for a talk at his house on 6 September 2015.

Thai villagers from seven provinces came together to petition the authorities to resist mining activities, demanding an investigation into health impacts allegedly resulting from mining.

Information Release on Tungkum Limited Company (TKL) will withdraw nine legal cases against 33 villagers who are members of the anti-mining and land-rights group Khon Rak Ban Koed (KRBK).

Although the junta promised to eradicate the alleged corruption of the former civilian government which served the capitalists, the new Mining Bill is designed to give mining businesses easy access to more land without the need for mitigation of environmental and social impacts in most areas.  Meanwhile marginalised people affected by mines will find it difficult under martial law to oppose the bill.