Poll Shadow Over Land For Poor Thai Villagers

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Poll shadow over land for the poor

By Somroutai Sapsomboon

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva once again has been criticised for his indecision in tackling the problems of poor villagers who have been camping near Government House for weeks.

However, it is also likely that his government's failure to solve the problems is aimed at luring the villagers to support his Democrat Party in the next election later this year, in the hope it will return to office and complete its work for them.

Villagers affiliated with a group calling itself the People's Movement for Fair Society (P-Move) are demanding government action on 500 problem cases, ranging from homelessness and urban poverty to landless farming and poor livelihoods caused by the Pak Mun Dam in Ubon Ratchathani province. Some of these problems have persisted for two decades.

In late 2008, when it came to power, the Abhisit government announced a plan to solve the problem of forest encroachment and land squatting through "community title deeds" and a "land bank".

A community title deed would be given to an eligible squatting community that has existed, mostly on state land, for at least three years before June 2010. A land bank is a fund set up to buy in instalments for squatting communities privately owned abandoned land.

As the villagers stepped up pressure by moving their protest site closer to Government House, the government agreed to talk to them.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey told the villagers the government would guarantee that the 34 squatting communities selected by a government committee chaired by Satit were eligible for community title deeds and would not face legal action. The community residents were concerned that if the ruling Democrat-led coalition fails to return to power after the general elections, the next government may not implement its policy of giving out these community title deeds.

Regarding the land bank, Satit promised the government would issue a royal decree for the setting up of the bank within seven days so that the bank could begin operations in 30 days. This is to help hundreds of residents of many squatting communities being detained due to complaints by landowners.

After meeting Satit, the villagers' representatives also called on the prime minister, who backed the deal reached by Satit and the villagers.

Of the 35 squatting communities selected by the Satit panel in October last year to be eligible for community title deeds, only one - the Klong Yong community in Nakhon Pathom province - was actually given its title deed in a high-profile ceremony chaired by the prime minister last month. More than 180 communities all over the country applied to be eligible for community title deeds.

As it turned out, the Cabinet on Tuesday resolved that the eight relevant ministries sign the MoU and the signing ceremony was held yesterday.

However, one big obstacle stands in the way of the 34 communities and their title deeds - Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who has made it clear that he will not allow his ministry's occupied land to be given away to the squatting communities.

Seventeen of the 34 communities occupy land belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Suwit did not attend the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and was the only Cabinet member absent from the MoU signing ceremony yesterday. He said the fact his ministry sent a representative to the signing did not mean the ministry would hand over its occupied land to the squatting communities.

This has raised the question as to why the prime minister had failed to make Suwit follow government policy.

Prayong Doklamyai, a P-Move leader, said he did not think the MoU would work as many agencies had made it clear they would not give their land to the communities. "As the election is getting near, the agencies are increasingly shifting into neutral gear," he said, referring to their tendency to stay idle about government policies.

The villagers' problems have not been solved, but it appears they are being used as a campaign tool by the ruling Democrat Party ahead of the next election. The Democrats certainly will regard the MoU signing as one of their government's achievements.

Abhisit, the Democrat leader, said after the MoU signing: "I will expedite issuance of community title deeds. Hopefully, within this year the work will be done for at least 100 communities."

Apart from the prime minister's indecisiveness, some observers suspect the Democrats may leave some work unfinished so that they will be re-elected and form the government once again.

However, as long as there is still a big gap between the rich and the poor and unfair ownership of land - with a handful of wealthy people holding the largest share while poor people are left landless - the streams of poor villagers and farmers calling for fairness will never cease.

-- The Nation 2011-03-10

[sirchai]

However, as long as there is still a big gap between the rich and the poor and unfair ownership of land - with a handful of wealthy people holding the largest share while poor people are left landless - the streams of poor villagers and farmers calling for fairness will never cease.

"Never trust any politicians." They gave some land to the poor. So people came by and claimed their new land.

But the truth after all is that the rich guys knew what will happen. All they did was to send some poor looking people to get the land. Shame on this. Can't really blame Abhisit alone, but all of them.

And I'm talking about dirt poor people in the lower north-east........:jap:

[sunnyrolfe]

However, as long as there is still a big gap between the rich and the poor and unfair ownership of land - with a handful of wealthy people holding the largest share while poor people are left landless - the streams of poor villagers and farmers calling for fairness will never cease.

"Never trust any politicians." They gave some land to the poor. So people came by and claimed their new land.

But the truth after all is that the rich guys knew what will happen. All they did was to send some poor looking people to get the land. Shame on this. Can't really blame Abhisit alone, but all of them.

And I'm talking about dirt poor people in the lower north-east........:jap:

AGREE, Well stated