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<div>The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the junta to negotiate with anti-coal protesters after seven hunger strikers were admitted to hospital.</div>
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<div>On 15 February 2018, the NHRC expressed support for the rally at the UN building, Bangkok. The rally urged the junta to withdraw its plans to build coal-fired power plants in the southern provinces of Songkhla and Krabi.
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<div>Fully armed soldiers guarded state electricity executives during their visit to a controversial coal-fired power plant project in Thailand’s restive Deep South amid opposition from the local community.</div>
<p>On Wednesday, 13 July 2016, armed troops and Humvees were sent to guard executives of the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) during their visit to the site of a coal-fired power plant project in Thepha District, Songkhla Province.</p>
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<div>Civil society and student activists have rallied at military bases in Bangkok and the southern province of Songkhla after the military recently asked a university to silence academics who oppose a coal-fired power plant. Southern civil society also accused the military of being biased in favour of investors.</div>
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<div>The Commander of the 42nd Military Circle recently submitted a letter asking the President of Prince of Songkla University to ‘educate’ opponents of a controversial coal-fired power plant under construction in the southern province of Songkhla.
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<p>The junta has exempted the construction of coal-fired power plants in Songkhla and Krabi provinces from city planning laws in a bid to push forward controversial projects despite strong local opposition. </p>
<p>The exemption was published in the Royal Thai Gazette on Thursday 31 March 2016. It was issued after NCPO Order No. 4/2016, signed on 20 March 2016 by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as the Chair of the National Energy Policy Committee. </p>