Opposition to the draft Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) Act is mounting, with activists vowing to camp out at Government House until the controversial bill is halted.
The activist group SEC Watch, led by Prasitchai Nunual and an allied network, gathered on Monday to demand an immediate stop to the legislation, which they branded a "treacherous law". Mr Prasitchai argued that the planned SEC is no different from the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), claiming both initiatives drive local land loss, cause severe environmental degradation, and strip residents of their livelihoods under the guise of foreign-led development.
In a formal letter to the government, the network warned that the bill grants foreign investors unprecedented authority to hold and manage vital national land. The group also raised alarms over provisions that would suspend job protections reserved for Thai nationals and allow 90-year land leases -- a policy they claim will turn locals into "secondary citizens".
"We have learned from the failures of the EEC, where foreign investors took all the benefits while leaving behind toxic waste and financial losses for the locals," Mr Prasitchai said.
The group is demanding an immediate halt to both the SEC bill and the multi-billion-baht Land Bridge project. Instead, they urge the government to form a new development committee tasked with mapping out a southern economic strategy that includes input from all local stakeholders.
The SEC bill is slated for approval by December. However, a government source revealed that the administration is highly unlikely to push the Land Bridge project any further due to deep scepticism over its financial viability.
