Big bag conflict continues

Unable to win the prime ministers approval for allowing the release of water through the big bag barrier, Don Muang residents have done the job themselves.

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Don Muang residents tear apart and remove big sand bags forming a barrier across Vibhavadi Rangsit Road near Don Mueang airport yesterday. The residents said making a gap in the sandbag wall will help drain away floodwater which is above 1 metre in some areas inside the barrier. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

Morning update: Watch this situation today. Late last night Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the Froc had ordered the city to repair the dykes and that police would be sent to keep order. Residents have vowed to resist any effort to carry out repairs.

repair – to fix something that is broken or damaged ซ่อมบำรุง
vow – to make a formal and serious promise to do something สาบาน, ปฏิญาณ
resist – to oppose or fight against someone or something ต่อต้าน

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Don Muang bags protest grows

Locals tackle floodwall; PM insists it will stay
  
Kamolwat Praprutitum 
Pradit Ruangdit

Don Muang residents removed more of the "big bags" forming a floodwall on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road despite the prime minister's insistence that the barrier must stand.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) did not order the removal of the bags, weighing up to 2.5 tonnes each.

However, she said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will expedite in the next few days the pumping of water retained in the barrier, which is helping to protect the downtown area but at the cost of prolonging the disaster in certain parts of the city's northern and inner-north suburbs.

Ms Yingluck said residents in these areas will find the situation more tolerable once the pumping begins.

About 200 residents met on the crest of the barrier near Don Mueang airport and moved a number of the submerged big bags.

Protest leader Thinnakorn Janya said residents had removed smaller sandbags piled at the top and opened a 6-metre gap in the barrier on Saturday. Yesterday, they moved the big bags underneath. The gap remained at 6 metres wide.

Mr Thinnakorn insisted pulling the big bags away was to release some of the floodwater that has been trapped in more than 20 housing estates and to allow boats used by residents to get through.

As was the case on Saturday, the removal of the bags yesterday was carried out in the presence of senior police from Don Muang police station.

He said the police were called to witness the scene and acknowledge the bags' removal. "We don't want to be seen as black sheep or troublemakers," he said.

He conceded the residents were wary that media reports might portray them as villains.

An aerial view shows the ‘‘big bag’’ barrier put up across Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and Don Mueang airport. Residents say the bags are prolonging the floods in their areas. KOSOL NAKACHOL

Mr Thinnakorn said the residents inside the barrier deserved understanding because they have lived with the floodwater, which in some areas has surged to more than a metre deep, for three weeks already.

Pheu Thai Party MP for Don Muang Karun Hosakul talked to the residents yesterday and promised he would convince the Froc to dismantle the entire length of the barrier across the outbound Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

Mr Thinnakorn said Mr Karun, who acted as a contact for the Froc, told the residents that by 6pm today the command would come in with heavy machinery to dismantle a section of the barrier spanning about 30 metres.

If not, Mr Karun said he would lead residents in their efforts to take down the barrier themselves, Mr Thinnakorn said.

Mr Thinnakorn said about 80,000 people in affected neighbourhoods had been left in the dark because the authorities failed to flesh out details on how and when to salvage communities and ease the floods outside the barrier.

"That's why we suggested they start by opening a gap in the barrier," he said.

The residents gathered on the barrier crest yesterday after it was speculated they might resort to a more drastic measure such as blockading the tollway above Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, which is now the only main route out of Bangkok to the North and Northeast. Another protest option they considered was protesting outside parliament.

Froc director Pracha Promnok said public hardship caused by the flood is assessed on a day-to-day basis.

He said people should listen to reason and share the burden of the floods.

The barrier is helpful as it slows water flowing into Bangkok through upper districts, he said.

At the same time, water pumps are deployed to drain away the water.

The big bag barrier retains water and, in effect, keeps water at Khlong Bang Sue –  one of the last lines of defence protecting the inner city –  at a manageable level, Pol Gen Pracha said.

residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
remove – to take something away เอาออกจาก
barrier – a wall, pile of sandbags, etc., that prevents water from entering สิ่งกีดขวาง
gap – a space or opening in the middle of something or  between things ช่องว่าง
drain – to cause water or fluid to flow out ระบายออก
protest – a meeting or rally, sometimes forceful or violent, of people who strongly disagree with something ชุมนุมประท้วง
locals – people who live in a particular place ชาวบ้าน
tackle – to make an organised and determine attempt to deal with a problem จัดการ
insist – to say very firmly that something must happen or must be done ยืนกราน
Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc) – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
expedite – to make something happen quickly or easily เร่ง
retain – to keep, continue to have, or to store something เก็บไว้
prolong – to cause to continue for a long time ยืดเวลาออกไป
(natural) disaster –an unexpected natural event, such as a very bad storm or flood that kills a lot of people or causes a lot of damage ความหายนะธรรมชาติทาง, ภัยพิบัติธรรมชาติทาง
suburb – an area or town near a large city but away from its centre ชานเมือง
situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place  สถานการณ์
tolerable – that you can accept or bear, although unpleasant or painful สามารถทนได้
crest – the top part of something ยอด
submerged – under water  จมน้ำ อยู่ใต้น้ำ
pile – to put objects one on top of another; objects positioned one on top of another กอง
release – to allow a substance to flow out from somewhere ปล่อย
trapped – to be unable to get out of or leave a place ถูกกับดัก
case – a particular situation or a situation of a particular type    กรณี, เหตุการณ์, สถานการณ์
senior – with a high rank or position อาวุโส
witness – to see something happen –เป็นพยาน
scene – site; a place where something happens or happened สถานที่เกิดเหตุ
acknowledge – to accept or admit that something exists, is true or is real ยอมรับ
black sheep – a person who is different from the rest of their family or another group, and who is considered bad or embarrassing แกะดำ,คนผ่าเหล่า,นิ้วร้าย
concede – to admit that something is true ยอมรับ
wary – careful or nervous about someone or something because you think they might cause a problem ระมัดระวัง
media – newspapers, television, radio, etc. สื่อ
portray – to describe or show somebody/something in a particular way, especially when this does not give a complete or accurate impression of what they are like พรรณนา, วาดภาพ
villain – a bad person; a criminal; a bad character in a play, film or story ตัวร้าย
aerial – (of a photograph) from a plane or helicopter ภาพถ่ายทางอากาศ
deserve – of something that you earn or are given because of your behavior or qualities สมควรได้รับ
surge – to increase very quickly เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว
dismantle – to take something apart รื้อ
outbound – travelling towards a particular point, particularly away from a city ขาออก (opposite of inbound ขาเข้า)
contact – someone who can communicate with someone who can be helpful to you in your work ผู้ที่เป็นสื่อกลางช่วยเหลือได้
section – any of the parts into which something is divided ส่วน, ส่วนที่ตัดออก, ส่วนย่อย
span – to stretch right across something, from one side to the other ก้าวข้าม
in the dark – to not have information about something; to not know about something ขาดข้อมูล
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
flesh out – to give the details of a plan, project, etc.
details – small facts or pieces of information relating to a situation รายละเอียด
salvage – to save something from being lost completely กอบกู้
community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
ease – to make a problem, situation or pain less severe or serious บรรเทา
speculate – to consider or discuss what might happen คาดการณ์ อนุมาน
resort to – to do something extreme or unpleasant in order to solve a problem ใช้มาตรการรุนแรงในการแก้ปัญหา ยุติปัญหา
drastic measure – a very strong actions มาตรการรุนแรง
blockade – to stop someone/ something from moving through or along something else  ปิดกั้น, กีดขวาง
option – a choice; something that you can choose in a particular situation ทางเลือก
hardship – difficulty ความลำบาก
assess – to carefully consider a situation, person, or problem in order to make a judgment ประเมิณสถานการณ์
reason – a fact/facts that makes it right or fair to do something; the power of the mind to think in a logical way, to understand and have opinions, etc  ความมีเหตุผล, การใช้เหตุผล
burden – a serious or difficult responsibility that you have to deal with  ภาระ
flow – (of a liquid) to move continuously in one direction ไหล
deploy – to put in place ready for use นำมาใช้
line of defence – a structure like a wall, dyke, barricade that prevents something bad from entering – a flood, an enemy, etc.
manageable – possible to deal with or control จัดการได้,ควบคุมได้