DNP lauds work of the ‘King of Tigers’ taskforce

The land seizure included some 2,700 rai of shrimp farms found to have been encroaching into the Chumporn National Park in the South, and some hundreds rai more in popular tourist islands that are part of Khao Lam Ya-Samed and Mu Koh Chang national parks in the East.

The taskforce was established in May to help boost the department’s efforts in suppressing wildlife crimes and rampant forest encroachment, which has been beyond the capacity of park authorities in some areas. 

Former Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn was made the unit’s operational chief despite opposition by some civil groups over his hardline approach in the past. 

Chaiwat faced allegations of using force to evict Karen people who claimed they lived in the area before it was declared a national park, but the Administrative Court cleared him earlier this year, saying he had followed all legal procedures and that there was enough evidence that the forest was being encroached upon. However, his department was ordered to compensate the residents whose belongings had been burned during eviction operations. 

Chaiwat had earlier told the press that he would adopt a conciliatory approach to his work by trying to negotiate with offenders first, and called on people to not judge his team’s operations too early. 

Thanya Nethitammakul, the taskforce’s director and DNP chief, told the press yesterday that he and the department had placed high hopes on the unit as it was using a new approach of proactive suppression on wildlife crimes and forest-encroachment nationwide. 

“It is adopting a proactive approach, which we are placing high hopes on and the work result is far more than what we first expected,” Thanya claimed. 

He said he would assess the unit’s work again in three or four months.