Groups want govt help on housing
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 a problem-solving committee.
Hundreds of members of the Four Regions Slum Network and the People’s Movement for a Just Society marched yesterday 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 housing problem would become more severe with upcoming development.
He said 86 urban communities were now under threat of being relocated and up to 6,100 families – 34,000 people – would be homeless because of government’s infrastructure projects and developments like condominium blocks.
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 destroy livelihoods and displace many people.
“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 land ownership problems.
“Lastly, we need to restructure Pmove’s problem-solving committee by letting the deputy prime minister sit as panel head, in order to boost the efficiency of the problem-solving moves.”
Prime Minister’s Office Minister ML Panadda Diskul received the protesters’ demands.
He said the government understood the hardship many people lived under and was working to solve the problems.
