“We will press for our demand via our petitions to the prime minister, the Loei governor and Wang Saphung district chief,” Pornthip Hongchai, a leader of the group, said yesterday.

The petition targeted 16 councillors of the Tambon Khao Kuang Administrative Organisation in Loei’s Wang Saphung district because they demanded a secret vote at the local body’s meeting yesterday.

According to the Rak Ban Kerd Group, the secret vote was proposed to decide on the extension of permits for mining operations in land reform areas and the usage of the Khok Phu Lek Forest Reserve.

The group said permission for a gold mine operated by Tungkum company on 369 rai (59 hectares) expired in 2014.

The group said Tungkum urgently needed to acquire land-use permission to open the gold mine again since it still had the mine’s concession until 2027.

Ranong Kongsaen of Rak Ban Kerd said the group did not feel any relief after the Cabinet ruled this week that there would be no new gold mines allowed in the country after this year since Tungkum still held its concession.

Ranong said it was unclear whether the Loei gold mine was covered by the order and the group would continue campaigning until the mine was closed and affected people were helped.

The secret vote did not take place after other members of meeting objected to it. Following the objection, the 16 councillors who had proposed it walked out and the meeting collapsed.

“The councillors should have paid attention to the country’s urgent problems like economic issues and how to develop,” Pornthip said.