"Mandates of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises; the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; the Special Rapporteur on the right to food; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation," 14 January 2025

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Right of access to information and public participation

Local villagers reported that neither the authorities, nor Akara properly consulted them regarding the development of the mine…

Further, local communities lack access to information regarding the mine’s activities. Environmental Impact Assessments are not publicly available, and only monitoring reports…

Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly

… threats included job termination, police questioning, and physical threats, creating a climate of fear that has hindered the communities’ efforts to seek justice and their ability to express dissent, criticism or opposition to the activity of the mine…

… Water contamination has been a longstanding issue around the mine, with several studies confirming the presence of heavy metals, including cyanide, arsenic, and manganese..

The environmental contamination caused by the operations at the Chatree mine has also had significant impacts on the local communities’ rights to land and food…

Since the mine’s reopening, there have again been concerns about heavy metal contamination of water sources, leading villagers to purchase drinking water. Farmers have also encountered challenges in selling their produce, which has impacted their income…

Beyond land and livelihood issues, the mine’s operation caused noise, dust and vibrations…

Right to the highest attainable standard of health

… A 2022 study found an elevated risk of cancer for villagers living near the mine, associated with both lead and cadmium consumption, especially for those consuming eggs within 25 km of the mine…

Right to effective remedy

In 2016, affected rightsholders filed a class action lawsuit demanding compensation for loss of livelihood, negative health impacts, and environmental damage. The court accepted the lawsuit on 31 October 2019, but Akara's delaying tactics and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the hearings multiple times…

On 17 December 2024, a mediation hearing was held during which petitioners submitted their proposal for Akara to pay 60 million THB to the class action lawsuit members and to be managed directly by them. The company instead wants to establish a new fund that it would manage. The next mediation hearing is scheduled for 21 February 2025.