Army stops land reform group's plan for long march
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PEASANT FEDERATION TO TALK TO PANADDA ON THURSDAY ABOUT FOREST EVICTIONS
A MARCH from Chiang Mai to Bangkok planned by the Northern Peasant Federation’s “First Step for Land Reform” was halted yesterday by the Army.
Federation members were told not to proceed with their planned march to Bangkok in order to submit a petition instead to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as part of their campaign for land reform.
The group gathered at Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai’s Muang district yesterday morning amid the presence of some 100 Army and police officers.
It was about to begin the march when security forces detained two of its leaders, Chulalongkorn University political science lecturer Prapart Pintobtang and Phrae forest group’s Pisist Taja, in a truck for 10 minutes before releasing them.
At about 1pm, other leaders, including Prayong Doklamyai, Suriyan Thongnu-eiad and Niran Luke, were brought to speak with 33rd Military Circle chief of staff Colonel Jirawat Chulakul. In the meeting, Jirawat asked the group to co-operate and not proceed with the demonstration.
He said he understood the |group had long ago submitted petitions in a bid to get help for the poor and in relation to retail farmer land issues.
Jirawat said he was confident the government was trying to solve the problems and everything would be done in steps. He would contact his superiors to see if the matter could be brought to an end and get back to them.
He later told the group he had arranged for them to talk with PM’s Office Minister ML Panadda Diskul at Chiang Mai City Hall on Thursday. As a result, the demonstration was called off.
Crackdown not meant to hurt poor
The planned march was in response to the Prayut government’s crackdown on forest encroachment by investors, influential figures and illegal loggers.
Under the crackdown, emphasis was supposed to be placed on there being minimal impact on the underprivileged living on the land, an informed source said.
However, the source said officers reportedly operated the crackdown without discrimination and allegedly threatened villagers, leaving them concerned about their ability to lead a normal life.
Prayong said the group submitted a petition via the 33rd Military Circle to the National Council for Peace and Order in June in which it sought help to solve the land problem. On July 28, Prayong said the group also called for a review of encroachment crackdown operations and for the land issue to be put on the national agenda.
On October 7, its representatives joined a protest, which led to talks with Panadda. Seven days later it petitioned the prime minister, the Internal Security Operations Command and the governors of nine upper northern provinces in a bid to have the matter addressed, but the group said there had been no response.
The federation wants a review the master plan to conserve forest and natural resources and four draft laws for land reform to become legislation.
