P-Move activists plead for food and shelter

  The protest organised by the People’s Movement for a Just Society (P-Move) has reached agreement with several official agencies and made satisfactory progress on their campaign for resolving land rights disputes. However, having to live on the streets in the meantime has taken a heavy toll on the mainly rural people.
The unsanitary living conditions on Bangkok’s roadsides, unseasonal storms and a lack of food and water have caused some to fall ill and at least two protesters have been hospitalised.
P-Move coordinator Witawas Thepsong said the demonstrators still had a strong will to achieve their goal of having the government set clear plans to solve the problems caused by its current land policies, but he was worried about their health.
“The protesters have already had to live streetside in Bangkok for nearly a week. They are directly exposed to the pollution, unhealthy living conditions and extreme weather, so many of our colleagues have started to get sick,” he said.
Hot days followed by heavy rain at night was causing many protesters to catch colds, he said.
Meanwhile, the supply of food and water that the participants brought with them from home has already run out, so they are having to spend what little money they have on these basic provisions.
“We would like to ask the government to provide us with food, water, fundamental utilities and healthcare assistance, as more and more participants in the protest, especially the children and elderly, have started to get sick,” Witawas said.
“It is the duty of the state to take care of its citizens. Moreover, it is the improper governmental policies that have caused problems for the people in the first place, so we have had to come to Bangkok to demand changes from the government.”
Witawas said the group had been successful in signing memorandums of understanding with the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Transport Ministry and Interior Ministry. 
They had also been encouraged by progress made since they laid out clear plans.
He said, the group was scheduled to have a discussion yesterday evening with the Finance Ministry, and had waited patiently for their troubles to be brought to a meeting of the Cabinet today. They hope these final meetings will result in a final resolutions of their problems.