Lao dam lawsuit failure shows need to revise cross-border deals
On 17 August, the Thai Supreme Administrative Court ruled to dismiss a lawsuit, filed by 37 Thai villagers against five Thai state agencies for their role in approving the Xayaburi hydropower dam’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Filed 10 years ago, the Xayaburi lawsuit was the first community-filed lawsuit related to dam building on the Mekong River, and the first lawsuit on a transboundary project. The lawsuit was filed against five Thai state agencies, including the National Energy Policy Council, the Thai Cabinet, and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) for their role in approving the project’s PPA.
Phairin Sohsai
