CityNews – Chiang Mai citizens are gathering names to file a petition against the ongoing saga of the judicial buildings built into land on Doi Suthep.
Since 2016, the construction of the Court of Appeals Region 5 and residence for judicial officers has been under criticism for alleged forest encroachment. Earlier this month, the authorities declared that due to an overcrowding issue at the Chiang Mai District Court on superhighway, Court of Appeal Region 5 decided to relocate housing into the land owned by County Militia Headquarters at 33 Camp Kawila who owns construction permits for the land since 2006. The authorities denied the claim that the project encroaches the protected forest of Suthep-Pui National Park.
Satellite photos showing the housing cutting into the forest behind the Court of Appeals Region 5 have been widely shared on social media, and today a network of local citizens opposed to the construction have begun collecting names for a petition to review this case.
The network is led by Hug Chiang Mai Party, Suebsan Lanna, The Green Beauty Scented Network and Rak Chiang Mai Network. The petition will be sent to the governor of Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai Provincial Treasury Office asking authorities to clarify further details of the case and review the use of royal land located near protected forests, where natural sites should be preserved. The petition is planned to be submitted next week.
The construction of the Court of Appeal Region 5 and residence for judicial officers takes over 33 rai of land, comprised of 47 residences and 13 official buildings under the budget of 900 million baht.