Land rights protesters dig in their heels

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

Police ‘keep close watch’ on P-Move as talks continue to resolve their issues.

 

AMID CLOSE monitoring by security officers, land rights protesters continued to make their case in Bangkok but failed to reach agreements with all related official agencies to solve their problems.

 

People’s Movement for a Just Society (P-Move) coordinator Witawas Thepsong disclosed yesterday that so far the land rights networks, who participated in the peaceful demonstration on land rights issues under the banner of P-Move, have reached agreements with the Interior and Transport ministries to solve the people’s problems.

 

 

The Interior Ministry has promised to rush the mitigation process on land rights issues for people affected by the Mae Sot Special Economic Zone and sea gypsy communities, communal land deeds, and public utilities for government housing projects.

 

The Transport Ministry, meanwhile, has pledged to resolve land issues involving the State Railway of Thailand and local communities.

 

 

However, Witawas said that the negotiations with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and Office of the Prime Minister were not yet complete. He said P-Move would continue its protests in Bangkok until it is offered satisfactory mitigation measures.

 

He stated that even though P-Move protesters in Bangkok have not faced any blocks or intimidation – as they had complied with all legal requirements for public gathering – they were under the close watch of police.

 

 

Direk Khong-ngen, a leading member of the Farmers Union of the Northern Region, stated that the members of his network in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces were still blocked by military officers from joining P-Move’s protest in Bangkok as the authorities are worried the group might have a hidden political agenda.

 

“Our members are at home today, as we are not allowed to travel to Bangkok. However, the military officers still keep monitoring our activities closely,” Direk informed.

 

“The people feel insecure and threatened because of the recent military intervention and the arrest of P-Move leading members yesterday. We insist on our right to peacefully protest in order to let the government solve our problems and we will not give up on our effort to participate in the P-Move protest in Bangkok.”

 

He said that suppressing people to prevent them from raising their voices was not a good way to maintain social order. Instead, he suggested that the government listen to the people’s problems and work with them to solve these issues. This will make the people happy and society would be peaceful, and the government will also gain a lot approval, which will be very important for them for the upcoming election.

 

Direk was one of the land rights activists from Chiang Mai stopped by the military and police officers during their journey to Bangkok on Tuesday night. They were all summoned to 33 Military Circle on Wednesday for interrogation and forced to sign an undertaking to the Army that they would not participate in the public gathering.

 

 

Meanwhile, P-Move released its third statement yesterday condemning the authorities for the intimidation of the people’s movement and the blocking of members of P-Move and Farmers Union of Northern Region from joining protests in Bangkok.

 

The statement highlighted that these actions were not only keeping the people away from getting involved on public matters, but also setting back the country’s democratisation process because openness to public participation is the heart of democracy.

 

The group also emphasised in its statement that the use of absolute power by the National Council for Peace and Order to silence the people’s voices was a direct threat to citizens in democratic system and urged the authorities to stop harassing the public movement.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344557

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-04

 

.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The group also emphasised in its statement that the use of absolute power by the National Council for Peace and Order to silence the people’s voices was a direct threat to citizens in democratic system and urged the authorities to stop harassing the public movement.

An awakening. Finally. 

Be strong!

Junta very afraid by you!

The shit will hit the fan when the rubber farmers, fishermen, street vendors, lottery sellers decide to join in. Seem the poor and marginalized segment of the population have been victimized by the junta and coming out while the Bangkok middle class who was responsible putting the junta in government is very much content to sit back. Where is that whistle blowing scum when he is most needed. 

12 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The shit will hit the fan when the rubber farmers, fishermen, street vendors, lottery sellers decide to join in. Seem the poor and marginalized segment of the population have been victimized by the junta and coming out while the Bangkok middle class who was responsible putting the junta in government is very much content to sit back. Where is that whistle blowing scum when he is most needed. 

Well said.

 

I remember those whistle-blowers sanctimoniously screaming about how they were against corruption, how they didn't belong to a party but were merely "patriots", how they were the "good" people who only were acting on behalf of the country and people, and how they wanted Thailand to be 'clean'

 

Where are those sanctimonious people now? Is Thailand a better place? Are you still 'good' people? Where are your demands for anti-corruption now? Or, are you too busy in your new, plush government offices?

 

Hypocrites.

 

Funny, but it takes the poor, the disadvantaged, the land-less, the fisherman, the blind lottery seller, etc to teach the "good" people the true meaning of what is right and wrong.

 

And that is why the Junta is sooooooo afraid of them. The demonstrators are righteous, morally good and everyone knows it.

 

Godspeed protesters!

 

34 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The shit will hit the fan when the rubber farmers, fishermen, street vendors, lottery sellers decide to join in. Seem the poor and marginalized segment of the population have been victimized by the junta and coming out while the Bangkok middle class who was responsible putting the junta in government is very much content to sit back. Where is that whistle blowing scum when he is most needed. 

 

How's your long-term memory el?