Man charged with burning forest in Chiang Mai

By The Nation

 

 

Police arrested a suspected arsonist in Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province on Thursday (April 9), as part of a clampdown on forest-burning that has seen air pollution spike in the northern region.

 

Patrols conducted by Chom Thong Police Station, Doi Inthanon National Park and Chong Thong district administrative organisation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old suspected fire-setter.

 

The suspect was found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in his possession. Police charged him with committing arson in the forest in violation of the Forest Act and possession of drugs (methamphetamine).

 

Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen said that the wildfire problem in the northern region had to be dealt with seriously as it was severely affecting residents’ health.

 

Levels of the most hazardous PM2.5 air pollution have soared over the North in recent weeks.

 

The spokesman said that if anyone noticed activity that might lead to fire, they could contact the police via the 24-hour 191 hotline.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385732

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-10

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In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution.

He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe.
 

Long hoped for. Let this be a start.

And punish them severely

According to the other thread running here

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158643-chiang-mai-hotspots-down-but-pm25-still-shrouds-north?

 

"Meanwhile the Forest Fire and Smog Centre informed Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Warawut Silpa-archa on Wednesday that ... 419 fires had been put out and 454 people had been prosecuted for setting them."

 

So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant?

 

Anyway, its a start. Can only hope that the same enforcement will take place in the other 30 provinces in north, north-east, central and eastern provinces also badly affected at this time EVERY YEAR.

 

And as I wrote in the other thread: When will the Nation and other news sources start to investigate and report the real news - that up to 34 million citizens of Thailand are suffering right now and every year from unhealthy levels of air pollution caused by preventable arson?

500 baht and a Wai, then off to the temple ...

1 hour ago, Antonymous said:

So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant?

Because he's the perfect scapegoat? He's not connected to big agribusiness (i.e. sugarcane farming) and he's a loser meth-head; so he's the perfect target to show the authorities are actually doing something (even though they've done nothing about the 100s of other fires).

Maybe he has been setting all the fires?

I would like to recommend that anyone interested in how the government is dealing with (covering up) the air pollution crisis to read this article in Chiang Mai CityLife published yesterday 10 April.

 

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/breathing-fire-chiang-mai-breathe-council-excoriates-minister/

The pollution in Chiangmai is just terrible TIT

10 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

The pollution in Chiangmai is just terrible TIT

Well at least it keeps some people at home. I've heard there is a nasty virus about.

He is not the problem why CM has air pollution...

 

focus on the relationships between gov and companies and gov and farmers/village chiefs 

21 hours ago, donnacha said:

In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution.

He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe.
 

He might also be a vagrant living rough in the forest, while all the farmers who do all the real damage go free.

finally a scapegoat

They actually caught one !,in reality if found guilty he should be

given say 10 years,they have to make an example of a few Aronists

to show they are really serious about stopping the burning......we will

never learn what sentence he was given,as there is never any follow

up on stories like this,but i am sure having the Meth will be a bigger

worry for him.

regards worgeodie

35 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

He might also be a vagrant living rough in the forest, while all the farmers who do all the real damage go free.

I suppose he might have been set up but, in general, if you are found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in your possession, you probably are a firebug.

 

ONLY ONE ?

 

 

How they cannot see other farms burned and proceed owner ?

(and if in forest, come next year find who use it for farming, and proceed him)

22 hours ago, Hank Gunn said:

Because he's the perfect scapegoat? He's not connected to big agribusiness (i.e. sugarcane farming) and he's a loser meth-head; so he's the perfect target to show the authorities are actually doing something (even though they've done nothing about the 100s of other fires).

I don't think many of the mountain forest burners in CM are connected to big business.

Mostly mushroom hunters and a few slash and burn hilltribe farmers.

Nobody would really miss any of them.

A public hanging may deter others

On 4/10/2020 at 1:40 PM, Antonymous said:

 

So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant?

It's not other than to pretend they are cracking down, so they find and blame some sorry ass meth addict with seven lighters????? Hint: They use lighters to smoke meth in Thailand! Total BS in my opinion.

Start the next fire with him on top of it ????

Show no mercy.  Lock him up and throw away the key.  People have to understand what a serious offense burning a national forest has become.  And it’s not just in Thailand for this problem.  Illegal forest fires happen in Myanmar and Cambodia too. 

3 hours ago, donnacha said:

I suppose he might have been set up but, in general, if you are found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in your possession, you probably are a firebug.

 

All the meth-heads in the US are arsonists and not druggies.

 

Using meth or yah-bah requires you to hold an open flame to your pipe/tinfoil while smoking. And that means lighters are being used a lot.

???????? He is just an Addicted who does this  for drugs. Who pays for the fire is not hanging around. 

2 minutes ago, rhyddid said:

Send him to death sentence as example for everybody!

Perhaps give him a trial first?

Suspected fire starter to me sounds like they have no evidence other than him being in the forest. Unless they actually caught him in the act of fire starting I strongly believe that the 7 lighters were for the consumption of meth and the guy is innocent! 

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I don't think many of the mountain forest burners in CM are connected to big business.

Mostly mushroom hunters and a few slash and burn hilltribe farmers.

Nobody would really miss any of them.

You are thinking wrong. The following article is from 2016 so the main culprits are known for a long time already. 

Read it and broaden your horizon:

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/chiang-mais-headache-corn-fed-smoke-haze

 

9 hours ago, worgeordie said:

They actually caught one !,in reality if found guilty he should be

given say 10 years,they have to make an example of a few Aronists

to show they are really serious about stopping the burning......we will

never learn what sentence he was given,as there is never any follow

up on stories like this,but i am sure having the Meth will be a bigger

worry for him.

regards worgeodie

Did they catch one in the act? Really? If I was smoking crack in the mountains I would have lighters also. Mountain burning is another problem but I have always argued they should jut go to the fields where agricultural burning is found, research the land owner and throw them in jail. Simples.

HI So Lo So, no discrimination. Problem solved quite quickly,

Some inflammatory posts and replies have been removed. 

On 4/10/2020 at 4:19 PM, donnacha said:

In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution.

He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe.
 

Add, and my guess there's a 50% chance he's been paid to light the fires.

 

So who paid him?

 

Some good police work should be able to get that answer very quickly. 

 

But....

 

On 4/11/2020 at 7:07 PM, hanuman2543 said:

You are thinking wrong. The following article is from 2016 so the main culprits are known for a long time already. 

Read it and broaden your horizon:

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/chiang-mais-headache-corn-fed-smoke-haze

 

Yes that is an interesting and informative piece of writing. It certainly ties in with the generally held view (To my knowledge) that the problem has been getting worse over the past 10 years. As understandably strong as the emotions aroused by those suffering this smoke are, the "String them up" brigade appear to be missing the point. This picture looks like the perfect set up. Who believes that an obvious fall guy was found so conveniently by the cops/army with all the evidence on him. 

 Best solution would be to round up the bosses and staff of the corn buying consortium and send them to the mountains to fight fires. Sadly that will never happen.

Like we never tire of saying, "Follow the money". or "Money doesn't talk it swears" (Dylan). 

 

The tragedy is that whereas a few superannuated and surplus to requirements falang pensioners may lose their lives, the hill farmers are dramatically shortening the life expectation of their own children, and those in the valleys. Ignorance is certainly not bliss.

 

As Chiang Mai tourism is losing millions, with it's reputation as "Jewel of the North" burnt to a crisp, you wonder when the Thais in this and other Northern valleys are going to start fighting back. 

 

Delhi has essentially the same problem with crop burning in Rajasthan.