Sea gypsies clash with gang
A scuffle between sea gypsies in Phuket’s Muang district and some 100 men believed to be connected to a company broke out at 10am yesterday over land access, a source said.
The gang claimed their firm had titles to the disputed land and set up a fence blocking the locals’ route to perform ceremonies. There were injuries on both sides.
Tambon Rawai mayor Arun Soros, Chalong Police Station officers and military officers were called in to investigate what happened.
The sea gypsies’ representatives in the afternoon asked City Hall to protect the overlapping area and beach until the issue was settled and to probe a group of Army officers who, two days earlier, allegedly provided security for the firm’s blocking of the community’s access to the route and sacred ground.
The conflict has been going on for years, as the company was trying to develop an 18-villa estate on the 33-rai site next to the sea-gypsy community, but certain parts of it had been traditionally used as the community’s path to perform rituals and repair fishing equipment.