Groups urge govt to help poor more
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TWO GROUPS representing the interests of the poor have demanded the government support their right to secure adequate habitat, solve land ownership problems and restructure the latter's problem solving committee.
Hundreds of members of the Four Regions Slum Network and the People’s Movement for a Just Society Monday marched to the United Nations office in Bangkok and Government House to mark World Habitat Day.
The protesters addressed their demands to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and pleaded with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to urge Thailand to respect human rights.
Four Regions Slum Network leader Jamnong Nupan urged the government to respond positively to the issues as the habitat problem would become more severe |due to upcoming developments.
He said 86 urban communities were now under threat of being relocated and up to 6,100 families – 34,000 people – were to be homeless because of the government’s infrastructure development projects and because of developments such as condominium projects.
He said the poor in rural areas also faced the negative consequence of state policies such as the Forestry Master Plan, mining concessions and power plant projects which destroyed livelihoods and resulted in many people becoming displaced.
“Our groups demand the government encourage the right to have a secure residence by supporting the Baan Mankong project and housing for homeless people,” Jamnong said. “We also want the government to transparently and swiftly solve the land ownership problems.
“Lastly, we need the restructuring of Pmove’s problem solving committee by letting the deputy prime minister sit as the committee head, in order to increase the efficiency of the problem-solving measures.”
