As northern Thailand and Mekong River communities continue to struggle with wide spread flooding, China has denied releasing water from dams upstream despite heavy rainfall and flooding in Yunnan Province.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok denied reports that its major dams and reservoirs on the Mekong river have been contributing to the ongoing flooding in the northern and north-eastern regions of Thailand.
The statement was issued yesterday, one day after former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited a flooded areas of Chiang Rai province.
Thaksin said that flooding in Chiang Rai may be caused by dams upstream in the Mekong River releasing high volumes of water. We may need to discuss this with China, which is also experiencing severe flooding.
He said Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has sent an emergency notice to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), urging dam operators on the Mekong River to collaborate in slowing water discharges.
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has called on authorities to stay on guard against floods as significant rainfall is forecast to continue in certain areas in the coming days in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
Xinhua News reported that controlling the flooding is still difficult because the water levels are above the warning levels, and the average national rainfall was 13.3% higher than usual, with 30 weather stations setting record highs.
Many people have had to leave their homes because of floods and landslides in several states. Flooding has destroyed thousands of homes and killed crops and animals.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
