Joni’s carpark puts Phuket in perspective
Every time I go to Phuket, a famous 1970 song by Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi”, always rings in my head. Lyrical and melodic, it pierces right into your heart. The first line — “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” — has become an anthem for conservationists as they express concern over tasteless economic development.
The story goes that the Canadian singer-song writer (and a fine painter to boot!) wrote the song during a trip to Hawaii where she saw a parking lot that stretched as far as the eye could see.
I do not know whether this prolific artist has ever visited Phuket. But if she were to do so now, she would have some interesting material for her art, or songs to write. (May I suggest the title “Yellow Tank”!)
It would be impossible to freezeframe old Phuket. This tourist island has changed beyond recognition, particularly along its coastal zones. Fishing hamlets and idyllic sea gypsy villages are gone, replaced by swanky resorts, high-end condominiums and chi-chi marinas. For hard-core environmentalists, the island is nothing but “Paradise Lost”, even though it attracts millions of tourists each year. Those tourists may be enticed by its modern setting — to some, it is a man-made paradise bought with money. The beauty of the Pearl of Andaman, as Phuket is known to tourists, lies in the eye of the beholder.
Yet, this paradise is not that peaceful. The town has a long record of conflicts over natural resources management. Exactly 30 years ago, villagers waged war against a state development project by burning down a newly-built tantalum factory out of fear of the environmental impact. That protest put an end to the era of mining in this southern province.
But Phuket has proved to be a resilient town and often rises to the occasion. After mining left, the province turned itself into a world-renowned tourist destination, thanks to its picturesque beaches and pristine marine ecology. Still, there are conflicts between rich and poor, the state and the people, development and the environment. Encroachment on coastal land in the marine national parks is a case in point.
The latest conflict emerged after the Ministry of Transport decided to dust off an airport expansion plan which includes a one-kilometre airport runway stretching into the sea. The plan sparked a public outcry as the designated site is part of the Sirinart Marine National Park — a site protected by environmental laws — on the western part of the island. The planned runway would be built next to coral reefs and a quiet beach where sea turtles come to lay eggs. There are fears the planned runway will cause massive coastal erosion, just as the Eastern Seaboard deep-sea piers did to beaches in Rayong province.
The runway project has drawn criticism not only from conservationists, but also local business operators. We should not forget that beaches in Phuket are different from those in Rayong which has been a heavy industrial zone for some time. (In fact, we have to admit that industrial development which went ahead without anyone listening to local people has ruined tourism opportunities for this eastern province.)
The campaign against the airport project is gaining momentum and that is causing a rethink at the Transport Ministry. There are reports the ministry might hire a consultancy to conduct another environmental study, in addition to a previous version which also included a public survey.
Phuket people do not oppose airport expansion, but they disagree with the land reclamation plan to build a runway into the sea which, in their opinion, must be preserved for its value. The question is whether the authorities fully respect their stance.
That does not mean the authorities must give in to every protest. They only need to value transparency and believe in the power of a well-informed society.
The idea of trading off between nature and development is outdated as our forest and marine resources become so scarce that we can no longer afford to pave over a beautiful beach for an airport runway.
Another study has come to light that concerns a new airport for Phangnga province or an alternative to use land on the eastern side of Phuket. One option, to have twin airports in Phuket and Phangnga linked to a mass transit system, is also interesting. It is the duty of the authorities to explore these options, not push for the one it endorses regardless of the local people.
At the end of the day, we will find out that we might not need to pave over paradise just to put up an airport runway.