Govt to ‘seriously’ crack down on people burning forest land

By THE NATION

 

 

The government will seriously prosecute people who set fires in forests no matter whoever they are or whatever their intentions, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa stated.

 

“Some 99.8 per cent of forest fires that have occurred recently were caused by humans. One burner arrested recently used matches tied to mosquito coils to burn the forest,” he revealed.

 

Varawut said the government has always dealt seriously with such people but did not tell the public about the operations. 

 

“However, we will now show the public that we are really arresting the offenders and fining them, whether they are local people or entrepreneurs,” he said.

 

Varawut told the Department of Forestry director-general and his ministry’s permanent secretary that “the main duty of companies that have received concessions from the department for using forest land is to take care of the trees in the area. Allowing a fire in their areas goes against the conditions of the concession,” he warned.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382732

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-24

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8 minutes ago, webfact said:

“However, we will now show the public that we are really arresting the offenders and fining them, whether they are local people or entrepreneurs,” he said

Good to know that you've just decided "now" to do your jobs on this issue. What else have you been negligent on that you'll "now" start to do? 

So last 3 crackdowns wasn't serious This crackdown will be different. 

 

Give the army something to do and get them on patrol.! 

 

 

 

Govt to ‘seriously’ crack down on people burning forest land

 

Now we're really really seriously going to do our job. Seriously!!!!

Drive past 2 police roadblocks south of Chiang Rai when in both cases clear visible local fires were within eyesight of the roadblocks. 

Police simply dont care. 

1 minute ago, LivinLOS said:

Drive past 2 police roadblocks south of Chiang Rai when in both cases clear visible local fires were within eyesight of the roadblocks. 

Police simply dont care. 

Dont think that is their job to deal with fires 

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

Dont think that is their job to deal with fires 

When locals are burning, and burning is banned.. Its the police who 'should' enforce that ban. 

They dont tho.. We have had the same in our village, keep promising my wife they would come later and dont come. 

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

The government will seriously prosecute people who set fires in forests no matter whoever they are or whatever their intentions

About time!

But not the sugar cane field that cause the PM2.5 problem?

 

OK if you're sure...

 

lol

 

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Varawut said the government has always dealt seriously with such people but did not tell the public about the operations. 

Can these people get any more stupid ?

They have obviously taken lessons in being stupid and how to make yourself look stupid in public.

And they then wonder why people ridicule them

Is the burning season over for sugar cane? Is this the reason they can now be seen to actually do something? 

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

Govt to ‘seriously’ crack down on people burning forest land

Seriously???? 

????

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

Govt to ‘seriously’ crack down

Hopefully...

Usual rubbish. Doesn't matter what its about - Pollution in Bangkok, Sugar Cane burning, Road safety.......................... talk a lot, do nothing!

Last days there's much wind in BKK but still the pmi-2.5 meter is in the red zone...the wind comes from cambodia and is constant very dirty....are they burning forest nonstop there?

1 hour ago, nikmar said:

Govt to ‘seriously’ crack down on people burning forest land

 

Now we're really really seriously going to do our job. Seriously!!!!

yes they are seriously taking it serious beyond any level of serious they seriously said before 

 

seriously ?

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Dont think that is their job to deal with fires 

not sure the Thai police have any idea what their job is to be honest, seems that all they can do is set up a roadblock and fine people for not wearing a helmet or not having a driving licence, beyond that doesn't seem to be part of their remit, writing tickets seems to be the limit - not much beyond a traffic warden in the UK 

I seriously doubt that much serious action will be taken for any serious amount of time..as soon as the serious burning period is over its all forgotten about again.. repeat next year but more seriously ????

9 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Good to know that you've just decided "now" to do your jobs on this issue. What else have you been negligent on that you'll "now" start to do? 

Yes but they are "seriously cracking down" now as to "Jokingly cracking down" before.

The PM might order a halt to the burning one day before the farmers have already planned to stop burning.  The next day the burning will stop and the PM will claim that his order was a success. MAGIC!

As seriously as you deal with Heroin smugglers in  your own party?

This problem is huge to fix, to be honest.

In SE Asia it's from Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, if not China too.

And from Indonesia in the south. Singapour has dealt with this issue from Indonesia in the past, but with arguable success ? 

 

First step would be to be serious indeed.

Fine the earth-criminals is not going to change anything. Unless huge fine, to the owner of the land too if responsible, or confiscation, or obviously PRISON ! Real time.

You can go in prison for smoking a joint or having overstay, but those who burn forest and harm millions of people are barely fined (i guess 500 bahts ? ???? If ever...).

-> First step : prison risk. Or huge fine. Then you can bet police will move ????

 

Second step, much more difficult, is regional. Laos-Myanmar-China and Indonesia. Those farmers KILL million of people, or severely injure them.

 

For Thailand it's of absolute importance though.

Tourism is near 20% of revenu. 

Tourists know now (i mean more and more) about the non-viability of north Thailand during 6 months, and health hazard in Bangkok (but well, it's a big town). And some time issue in the south from Indonesia.

But the main problem is in the north imo, and very differently in Bangkok.

Impact, if nothing is done, could be more and more severe, and yep i mean for business.

 

That said, yeah it's kind of... unreal, what non-mesures are taken, but does California do better for example ? Or Brazil ?

 

Notice he uses the term "forest land" and not agricultural land. There's the get out clause right there.

19 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

Notice he uses the term "forest land" and not agricultural land. There's the get out clause right there.

 

because if they want to tackle the ricefield fires, they will have to start convincing themselves that there are no ghosts at night on the departmental roads;
since it is almost always at night that the peasants set fire to their fields;
Before yesterday evening, photo taken from the window of our kitchen

 

 

Monday afternoon while exiting BKK a weed field next to the highway was burning . Slow burn with several spots of ignition. No one trying to extinguish. Bad smog day even without the burning!

Looks to me like the "democratic" government is running "seriously" scared. Announcements galore are happening by puppet heads of many ministries and departments. It must be orders from the head puppet to look "serious".

( "if you want to keep your place at the trough, make me look good because I've been taking heavy fire lately" )

17 hours ago, sanemax said:

Dont think that is their job to deal with fires 

It is their responsibility to enforce the law... burning forest land is against the law!