The small but vocal group of people, mostly from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Songkhla, Satun and Chumporn provinces, told journalists that they felt local people gained no benefits from such projects.
Their representative, Wichokechai Ronnarongpairee, from Satun, explained, “We think that mega projects or heavy industry will lead to the development of more heavy industry in the future, such as nuclear industry.
“These developments will make profits for big businesspeople, foreigner investors and politicians, but not for local residents.
“For example, the Pak Bara Deep Sea Port project [in Satun], which will be linked by an oil pipeline to the Gulf of Thailand, and will have a deep sea port and oil refineries, will be another investment for rich people or foreigner investors to make money.
“But the local people will still be poor, and [on top of that] will suffer like the people in Map Ta Phut subdistrict of Rayong province [a centre of heavy industry where environmentally-related illnesses have recently been a problem].
“The people of the South do not want things to be like that.
“This mobile Cabinet meeting seems to include rich people, business persons and representatives of foreigner investors.
“Why doesn’t the PM talk with the poor people directly or invite them to be represented in the meeting?
“We do not agree with any proposal in this mobile Cabinet by those representatives [of the rich] if there is no vote from local people,” he said. “We reject the government’s economic development plans.”
Mr Wichai said the group had no intention of invading the university but would like to remind the PM again about their demands, especially since they have tried to see her several times but without success.
The group gathered yesterday morning at the Sarasin Bridge in the hope of meeting Ms Yingluck on her way from Phuket to Phang Nga. The PM’s motorcade did not stop.