The convoy of pick-ups and trucks carrying hundreds of villagers weaved between paddy fields on its way to the eponymous provincial capital, Nong Bua Lamphu in Northeat Thailand. The participants had an appointment with the Governor of the Province and various government ministry representatives at the Provincial Hall. They were going to ensure that their collective voice would be heard.
Almost three decades ago a struggle began between the villagers who live in several communities surrounding a collection of rocky limestone outcrops and a private mining company from the city of Udon Thani in Thailand’s Northeast. The villagers fearing the environmental impacts as well as the degradation of religious and historical sites have been trying to stop it ever since.
On the 13th August the villagers began what they describe as the last big push to stop the mining by blockading the road access to the mine itself. The early years were exceedingly deadly for the community with 4 members of the environmental group being killed in 1993 and 1999. The latter killings included the acting Sub-District Chief who was also Sorn’s husband Tongmuan Khamjem. His death was particularly shocking to the community as the two men were ambushed and shot dead whilst riding a motorbike on a quiet country road.
Angered and saddened by the event, the villagers chose not to cremate his body. Instead they loaded it onto a truck and together with around 300 people drove in a convoy of 13 vehicles to the same Provincial Hall. With the coffin containing Tongmuan Khamjem next to them, they stayed for 3 days and 3 nights, sleeping outside on the ground in an attempt to pressure the government officials and police to act and arrest the perpetrators.
Little did she know that they would be repeating this very same trip almost three decades later to once again attempt to pressure the government to permanently close down the mine. This time, however, they had a backup plan and again, after falling on deaf ears they returned and blockaded the road, stopping the access to the mine itself.
On September 3rd the forestry permission permit for the mine expired putting the land back in the hands of the Ministry of Forestry and with that, the very next day, hundreds of villagers took over the mine to add additional pressure. With the actually mining permit expiring on September 24th the villagers still know anything could happen but could this small village community actually be seeing an end to 3 decades of struggle?
As one core leader called Lamduan Wongkhamchan said “We have been fighting against the quarry for almost 30 years since I was 40 years old. I want this struggle to end in my generation. I don’t want the younger generations, my children and grandchildren to have to continue this struggle.”
A huge Buddha statue being erected on the peak of a limestone outcrop at Wat Pa Tham Khong in Dong Mafai District of Nong Bua Lamphu Province.
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Kiang Pimpan, 57, sits in the 9th room of a cave complex under one of the many limestone outcrops that dot this area. It is this these sources of stone that has attracted the mining company that has turned one of the mountains in to a mine. It is this cave, amongst some other attractions, that the villagers hope will become a tourist attraction but only once the mine is closed.
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The district of Dong Mafai is a very rural area with the local people growing rice and sugar cane as well as collecting other naturally found food resources, like mushrooms and herbal plants, in the forests. The mine took control of almost 30 hectares of forest reducing the locals access to collect food.
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Lamduan Wongkhamchan, a core member of the community group stands inside her house in the village of Chok Chai. “We have been fighting against the quarry for almost 30 years since I was 40 years old. I want this struggle to end in my generation. I don’t want the younger generations, my children and grandchildren to have to continue this struggle.” she says.
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A view of the mine which the local people of this area are fighting against seen from an opposite outcrop.
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Sorn Khamjem, 58, cleans the area around her husband’s grave, standing alone in a community forest. She has refused to cremate his body, as is Buddhist tradition, until there is justice. Tongmuan Khamjem, who was also acting sub-district chief, was ambushed and killed on 22 April 1999 whilst riding a motorcycle with his friend on a quiet country road. Both men were killed. He was questioning the irregularities and un-transparent way that the local community was made aware off the mining project. Over 2 decades later the community is still trying to close the mine and hold those responsible for the killings be brought to justice.
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A sacred cave in the adjacent mountain to the mine contains 5000 Buddha statues. The local people argue with so many religious sites and even 3000 year old verified cave drawings mining should not be allowed being a place of significant historical and cultural importance.
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A man reads some documents with the light from a gap in the curtains at an important meeting a few days before this anti-stone mining community travelled by convey to the provincial capital to meet the Governor of the Province to demand the mines closure.
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Mae Deang, a core member of the environmental group sits on the floor in her village shop. "In the old days there were shellfish, frogs and crabs. Nowadays there is nothing but dust. Life has become hard because of the explosion from the stone quarry disturbing us almost every day." she says.
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Villagers practise their three finger sign at an important meeting a few days before the community travel to the provincial capital to meet the Governor of the Province to demand the mine closure. Inspired by the current students practices, the villagers sign represents the 3 main objectives of the community which are to close the mine, rehabilitate the area and develop it in to a tourism hotspot.
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In preparation for the blockade, local villagers prepare over 20 wooden signs all with messages that they want the officials to read.
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On the morning of August 13th, 10 vehicle-convoy carrying several hundred people made its way towards a meeting with Government officials at the Provincial Hall in Nong Bua Lamphu province.
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A 10 vehicle-convoy carrying several hundred people, some of which sat in the back of large 6-wheel trucks, made its way towards a meeting with Government officials at the Provincial Hall in Nong Bua Lamphu province.
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Villagers approach the Provincial Hall wearing their environmental groups shirts and flying its flags.
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Members of the Khao Lao Yai-Pha Jun Dai Forest Conservation Group cover the steps at the entrance of the Provincial Hall closely watched by uniformed and plain-clothed police as well as intelligence officials.
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Whilst sitting on the steps of the Provincial Hall the villagers shout slogans and flash their three finger salute representing their 3 demands.
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Community group representatives using carefully collected data and citing sections of the Mineral Act of 2017, called for an immediate closure of the mine and environmental restoration of the damaged forest area.
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Several hundred anti-stone mining villagers take over the steps of the Provincial Hall of Nong Bua Lamphu Province. Observed closely by police and members of the intelligence agencies, they shouted slogans and called for the mine to be closed until they were permitted to go inside to a large meeting room to meet representatives of the Government.
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As soon as the first vehicles in the convoy returned to the District of Dong Mafai the locals covered the road with tires and closed down the access to the mine for the large trucks that carry the stones away.
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Hundreds of villagers sit on the road leading to the mine waiting for instructions about how to proceed with blockading the road. Within a few hours large marquee tents were erected, electricity was installed and the cooking area was created.
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Renowned anti-mining advocate and adviser of the NGO Campaign for Public Policy on Mineral Resources Lertsak Khamkhongsak talks to the local anti-stone mining group on the first day of the roadblock. Lertsak and his NGO assisted the community group in successful setting up the blockade and remained with the villagers for months sleeping and eating with them. Only when he began to receive death threats by local mafia involved in the mining project did he decide to sleep at a different location.
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Tires, boards with slogans and the community groups flags were placed at the entrance to the blockade. Any police, official or outsider who wanted to enter had to sign their name and details before proceeding through the barrier.
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On the 4th night at the blockade the villagers organised a small candle-lit vigil to remember the 4 people who have been killed during their prolonger 30 year struggle.
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Villagers who occupy the blockade 24 hours a day have regular meetings and discussions as to how to proceed.
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Men from the environmental group hang up slogans painted on cloth in the rain at the entrance to the blockade.
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Villagers stand guard at the back entrance to their blockade as it enters its 3rd week.
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On arriving at the blockade a fire was started to start to prepare food for the villagers.
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One of the villagers burns wood that is used to keep mosquitos away in this remote and heavily forested area. Banners and flags with anti-mining slogans cover the entrance to the blockade.
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Viron Rujichaiyavat, a founding member of the Khon Rak Ban Kerd community conservation group in Loei Province, who has been fighting against a polluting gold mine for over a decade visits the blockade to show solidarity for their struggle.
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On the 4th night of the blockade closing the road to the stone quarry the villagers of Dong Mafai organised a small candle-lit vigil to remember the 4 people who have been killed during their prolonged 30-year struggle. One by one the villagers silently placed candles at the entrance to their blockade.
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A protest banner saying 'Stop the stone quarry hangs on the road that runs next to the blockade of the entrance to the mine.
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On the 1st September 2020, a sub-contractor who had rented the mining equipment to the mines owner requested that it would like to remove its machinery from the mine. Before allowing the trucks past the blockade the villagers negotiate with the company.
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On 1st September villagers celebrate and wave flags as the company who provided the mining machinery removes its equipment on 3 large trucks, that are allowed to buy through the villagers blockade.
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On 1st September villagers celebrate and wave flags as the company who provided the mining machinery removes its equipment on 3 large trucks, that are allowed to buy through the villagers blockade.
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On 3rd September the Forestry Permit, provided to the mining company by the Ministry of Forestry expired and was not renewed. This meant that the company no longer had permission to mine the forested area. With the company no longer in control of the area the villagers planned to enter the mine itself the next day. Here they prepare an enormous banner that will be hung on the side of the mine.
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One the day one of the stone mining permits expired, hundreds of locals including women and children walked in defiance up in to the mining quarry itself. Waving flags and wearing their conservation groups green shirt, they marched several kilometres to the quarry in an act that was to signify taking back control.
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At the head of the group of hundreds of villagers is Sorn Khamjem, 58, holding a picture of her husband Tongmuan Khamjem. A staunch anti-mine opponent Mr Tongmuan was shot dead in 1999 whilst riding a motorbike with his friend.
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One the day one of the stone mining permits expired, the locals walked in their hundreds in defiance up in to the mining quarry itself. In an act that was to signify taking back control they made the authorities and mining company know that they knew their rights and refusal to back down. They staying for most of the morning, performed Thai Buddhist blessing ceremonies before returning to their protest roadblock a few kilometres away.
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On entering the quarry villagers proceed to hang an 18m long banner saying ' Stop the mine in our generation' down the slopes.
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One the day one of the stone mining permits expired, hundreds of locals, including women and children, walked in defiance up in to the mining quarry itself. They marched several kilometres to the quarry in an act that was to signify taking back control and once inside they hung a huge banner saying in Thai “Close the mine in our generation’.
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The large stone quarry looking out over the surrounding countryside. This area is covered in limestone outcrops and it is this that first attracted the company to mine here almost 30 years ago.
Luke Duggleby Photography
Website of British photographer Luke Duggleby. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Luke specialises in documentary, travel and portrait photography focusing on Asia.