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Tuesday, 16 December 2014
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  • THAILAND: TOXIC WATER, TAINTED JUSTICE

    (Bangkok, December 16, 2014) – The Thai government has failed to clean up toxic lead in a stream in western Thailand, threatening hundreds of families with serious and irreversible health problems, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Supreme Administrative Court’s order nearly two years ago to clean up Klity Creek, the first of its kind in Thailand, has been ignored by the government while villagers remain exposed to lead in water, soil, vegetables, and fish.
    The report, “Toxic Water, Tainted Justice,” describes 16 years of failure by Thailand’s Pollution Control Department and public health authorities to prevent further exposure to lead among the village’s ethnic Karen residents. A video accompanying the report highlights serious health and environmental damage caused by a now-defunct lead processing factory, as well as the efforts by local residents to seek justice. Many residents of Lower Klity Creek village suffer the symptoms of chronic lead poisoning, such as abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, and mood changes. Some children have been born with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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    Thailand: Toxic Water, Tainted Justice
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    12m 17s
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    Kitty Creek
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