Arrest warrants issued over rubber farmers' protest in Nakhon Si Thammarat

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RALLY
Rubber-price rally leaders face arrest
The Nation



Warrants issued over farmers' protest in south

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- The protest by rubber farmers in Nakhon Si Thammarat has reached boiling point, with a court issuing arrest warrants for six protest leaders in the face of road closures and a rail line being blocked off.

Warrants were issued at the request of police yesterday for the arrest of Chayanin Konglang, Kongkiat Chuthong, Sompas Kwanthong, Sammit Juiplod, Prapas Pakdeerat and Wanida Kaewmanee.

This is in addition to the arrest warrants issued for nine people last Friday after a bloody clash between police and protesting farmers erupted in this southern province.

Nakhon Si Thammarat police chief Maj-General Ronnapong Saikaew said he expected the arrests of the six protest leaders to take place this morning. Anti-riot police have already been dispatched to a wildlife sanctuary near the protest sites, he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Viroj Jivarungsan via a representative yesterday asked the provincial court to approve operations to reclaim public space from the protestors.

Police spokesman Maj-General Piya Uthayo said the road and railway blockades had affected about 15,000 travellers. "Train passengers are stranded, while those travelling by road have to take a detour," he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday urged protesters not to cross the line.

"The government has embraced patience, but people who have violated the law will face legal action," she said.

Several government figures have now tried to link opposition politicians to the intensifying protest by rubber farmers.

Labour Minister Chalerm Ubumrung said he was fully confident that someone had engineered the ongoing protest. "I can predict that this protest won't end easily," he said, adding, "It has never been easy to stop rallies in the South."

The southern region is known to be the stronghold of the Democrat Party.

PM's deputy secretary-general Suporn Atthawong claimed his negotiations with rubber farmers' representatives had concluded satisfactorily with an agreement that the government would peg the rubber price at Bt80 per kilogram, but dozens of teenagers outside the meeting venue in Nakhon Si Thammarat later loudly rejected the agreed price.

He insisted that the teenagers were not, however, rubber farmers.

Piya, meanwhile, said the demonstrators at the protest sites could be divided into two groups: real rubber farmers, and those who are pursuing a political goal.

Twenty-five Democrat MPs yesterday held a press conference at Parliament House to dismiss any suggestion that they were behind the angry protests.

"Those who hurl such allegations are shameless and unethical," said Surat Thani MP Suthep Thaugsuban.

Democrat deputy leader Thaworn Senneam said Democrat politicians had met protesters merely to express moral support after some of the locals were injured during the clash on Friday. He urged the government not to use violence against any of those involved in the protest.


-- The Nation 2013-08-28

[NongKhaiKid]

When are Thais going to learn, if you are not red shirts you can't protest like this.

In fact non-red protests are suspect at the best of times, it's a matter of national security as opposing this government threatens the nation.

[rametindallas]

No double standards with this government, no sir. Move along, nothing to see here.

When will these Southerners learn that if you are not part of Dr. Thaksin's private civilian army, you have no standing. If they were Red Shirts, their demands would be met and their leaders given a place in the government.

[Mampara]

When are Thais going to learn, if you are not red shirts you can't protest like this.

In fact non-red protests are suspect at the best of times, it's a matter of national security as opposing this government threatens the nation.

Rent a Mob showing complete supremacy again.

[Pimay1]

"The government has embraced patience, but people who have violated the law will face legal action," she said.

Some people that is.

[Pimay1]

"I can predict that this protest won't end easily," he said, adding, "It has never been easy to stop rallies in the South."

Chalerm should know as he has been there many times and is familiar with all aspects of the South.

[NongKhaiKid]

No double standards with this government, no sir. Move along, nothing to see here.

When will these Southerners learn that if you are not part of Dr. Thaksin's private civilian army, you have no standing. If they were Red Shirts, their demands would be met and their leaders given a place in the government.

How many times have the reds acted up in public, disrupted other protests and generally done as they like and how many arrest warrants were sought ?

All that's ever happened is YL defending their right to protest with the little forlorn throw away line about it having to be peaceful.

Students sock it to some reds and warrants are applied for within 24 hours and now the same for the rubber farmers. This does nothing for " justice ", all it does is add to the smugness and already over confidence of the reds who know they can do as they want and nobody else can.

[Tatsujin]

"The government has embraced patience, but people who have violated the law will face legal action," she said.

Pity they didn't follow that policy back in 2010 when they were not in power.

[NongKhaiKid]

Perhaps too she should have said " people, other than red shirts, who have violated the law...

[Thait Spot]

Arrest warrants? That'll cool things down for sure. Great move.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ratcatcher]

.......................................

"What are we going to do about rubber prices?"............."Frankly my dear, I don't give a dam-!"

The south will rise..............again.

[15Peter20]

Are there no red shirts in jail at the moment? I though there were. Rubber farmers who block roads and rail lines should also be in for a stretch.

[Nickymaster]

All in line with creating a police state.

Not surprised at all.

[johnnie20110]

In an effort to push through the whitewash amnesty bill, the rubber farmers will be offered to be included in the amnesty, too.

[Nickymaster]

All in line with creating a police state.

Not surprised at all.

[ridkun]

Are there no red shirts in jail at the moment? I though there were. Rubber farmers who block roads and rail lines should also be in for a stretch.

Yes, by the rule of law. We can skip talking about double standard and hypocritical trait of the government for now.

Oh, also skip talking of the aspect that these people comes to ask for what government has promised but failed to deliver.

[15Peter20]

Are there no red shirts in jail at the moment? I though there were. Rubber farmers who block roads and rail lines should also be in for a stretch.

Yes, by the rule of law. We can skip talking about double standard and hypocritical trait of the government for now.

Oh, also skip talking of the aspect that these people comes to ask for what government has promised but failed to deliver.

No need to skip any of that. Just put people who block roads and rail lines inside for a stretch. Is what I said.

[ginjag]

If all the south did not vote for this government, it would still win an election, it's all about numbers, ISSAN CHIANG MAI.

Remember Thaksin said to the South something like if you don't vote for us you will NOT get anything.

So do they care about the southern rubber people ??? answer no. Problem they overlooked, there are massive amount of rubber farmers in ISSAN.

Remember elected government, Prevention is better than cure, whether it's rice-rubber-related or other forward thinking will prevent all this S##t, if any of you can divert your minds to being in the house and not on abroad duties, your concentrating too much on pardoning wrong doers.

[seajae]

This is just another load of sh*t, doesnt matter what crop the farmers grow, rice, rubber palm oil etc, they are the ones that choose to grow them so if the world market prices drop they are the ones responsible, not the rest of the country. If they dont like what they are being paid then grow something else but holding everyone else to ransom is bullsh*t and should not be tolerated. If farmers dont like it then stop farming but <deleted> stop all the crap with the blockades etc, you are being totally pathetic, doesnt matter who you vote for, you simply dont have the right to hold a country/other people to ransom due to YOUR farming practices. Send in the army and forcefully remove them all.

[theajarn]

"The government has embraced patience, but people who have violated the law will face legal action," she said.

Pity they didn't follow that policy back in 2010 when they were not in power.

That was the fault of the lilly-livered yellow shirts. They SHOULD have ruled with an iron fist. Now they're paying the price.

But it's OK to kill a few rubber farmers and yellow shirts. OK, maybe it's ok to kill a couple hundred or thousand if it comes to it... just don't lay a finger on a single red shirt burning down a mall though. That's against the rule-of-law.

[ginjag]

This is just another load of sh*t, doesnt matter what crop the farmers grow, rice, rubber palm oil etc, they are the ones that choose to grow them so if the world market prices drop they are the ones responsible, not the rest of the country. If they dont like what they are being paid then grow something else but holding everyone else to ransom is bullsh*t and should not be tolerated. If farmers dont like it then stop farming but <deleted> stop all the crap with the blockades etc, you are being totally pathetic, doesnt matter who you vote for, you simply dont have the right to hold a country/other people to ransom due to YOUR farming practices. Send in the army and forcefully remove them all.

Part agree with the gist of your post BUT The government are also to blame, throwing at them hormone, giving them more money for growing, then all of a sudden no demand, as there is a glut, my post earlier said prevention is better than cure.

O.K. your stance is brilliant, "grow something else" ???? <deleted>, when they are encouraged to farm rubber, put in life savings OR bank loan to do it, hormone at outrageous prices every month for 7 YEARS until the trees produce, taking up all the little farmers land and work.

Now you are saying chop all your trees down ?? plow up and try ???? or sell your rural lifestyle and work at a car component factory in Chonburi ??

Sorry for your lack of understanding rubber trees are not plastic toys to put in the bin.

[Nickymaster]

This is just another load of sh*t, doesnt matter what crop the farmers grow, rice, rubber palm oil etc, they are the ones that choose to grow them so if the world market prices drop they are the ones responsible, not the rest of the country. If they dont like what they are being paid then grow something else but holding everyone else to ransom is bullsh*t and should not be tolerated. If farmers dont like it then stop farming but <deleted> stop all the crap with the blockades etc, you are being totally pathetic, doesnt matter who you vote for, you simply dont have the right to hold a country/other people to ransom due to YOUR farming practices. Send in the army and forcefully remove them all.

You don't see any injustice here? A kind reminder, the government has been paying the farmers more than 50% above market price for their rice the last 2 years and will continue this for at least after the next election. This is costing the taxpayers billions of dollars.

It really surprises me that not more farmers have come out on the street protesting this injustice done to them by Yingluck.

If the government doesn't like road blocks etc they should just be fair to everybody. Simple as that. Its Yingluck's policies that are dividing the country and make people do nasty things.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Nickymaster

[philw]

"The government has embraced patience, but people who have violated the law will face legal action," she said.

Pity they didn't follow that policy back in 2010 when they were not in power.

That was the fault of the lilly-livered yellow shirts. They SHOULD have ruled with an iron fist. Now they're paying the price.

But it's OK to kill a few rubber farmers and yellow shirts. OK, maybe it's ok to kill a couple hundred or thousand if it comes to it... just don't lay a finger on a single red shirt burning down a mall though. That's against the rule-of-law.

i do hope that you are not really a teacher..................

It's just a moniker that you have adopted, right ???

[Moruya]

Rubber trees are not just for Christmas

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ridkun]

Are there no red shirts in jail at the moment? I though there were. Rubber farmers who block roads and rail lines should also be in for a stretch.

Yes, by the rule of law. We can skip talking about double standard and hypocritical trait of the government for now.

Oh, also skip talking of the aspect that these people comes to ask for what government has promised but failed to deliver.

No need to skip any of that. Just put people who block roads and rail lines inside for a stretch. Is what I said.

Government might do so to enforce the law and to restore order, which is obviously their duty. The problem is not about what they will do, the problem lies on what they ever did. While they insist red shirt has done nothing wrong, even practically by using government money to pay for the bail, how can they at the same time blaming these people's protest?

[SOTIRIOS]

"I can predict that this protest won't end easily," he said, adding, "It has never been easy to stop rallies in the South."

Chalerm should know as he has been there many times and is familiar with all aspects of the South.

...so much for 'reconciliation'.....again....psycho....

[chuang]

So are the violent protesters, red shirts or yellow shirts....incited by the Dems or PT.....southern parts are Dems stronghold...sure you have an answer..

[johnnie20110]

So are the violent protesters, red shirts or yellow shirts....incited by the Dems or PT.....southern parts are Dems stronghold...sure you have an answer..

Can't be red shirts, they don't have C-4, Rocket Propelled Grenades, M-16's, and Grenade Launchers.

[johnnie20110]

PM's deputy secretary-general Suporn Atthawong claimed his negotiations with rubber farmers' representatives had concluded satisfactorily

It would seem that red shirt leader and PM's Henchman Suporn (AKA Issan Rambo) has got it wrong as the protest continues this afternoon with both the highway and rail line remaining blocked as the rubber farmer's protest goes into its sixth day.

Perhaps time for Rambo to go down there with some of his red shirts and their weapons.

[kimamey]

"I can predict that this protest won't end easily," he said, adding, "It has never been easy to stop rallies in the South."

Chalerm should know as he has been there many times and is familiar with all aspects of the South.

It's not that easy to stop them in Bangkok either. Especially when you don't have the police to call on.