Thai govt warned of airport seizures

[webfact]

RUBBER GROWERS PROTEST
Govt warned of airport seizures
The Nation



Police ready to take strict action against those who cross the line, warns spokesman

BANGKOK: -- Rubber growers in the South are threatening to lay siege to important places like airports and provincial halls if the government fails to answer their demand for a higher price for their produce.

Meanwhile, authorities have vowed strict law enforcement against protesters who cross the line.

"We will take legal action against protest leaders who are behind road and railway blockades," police spokesman Maj-General Piya Uthayo said yesterday.

He added that authorities would most certainly not allow anybody to block the entrance of airports.

"If the protest spirals into airport seizures, we will invoke Article 135/1 of the Criminal Code. The maximum punishment under this clause is death," he warned.

Piya said that in the face of threats from rubber farmers, police were now keeping a close eye on Surat Thani, Krabi and Trang airports.

"We are working with the Royal Thai Air Force in protecting these facilities," he said.

As of press time, about 2,000 farmers had gathered and were blocking a road about 500 metres from Surat Thani Airport. However, passengers were still able to get to the airport using another road.

Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnog, meanwhile, has called on the protesters to talk to the government, adding that even though the authorities could not increase the rubber price significantly, it would help by reducing their costs.

"The Cabinet approved cost-lowering measures on Tuesday," he said.

He also warned the protesters against seizing the airports, saying that relevant authorities might need to use force if the demonstrators go too far.

"We can't allow any airport seizures," he said.

Getting ready for the worst

About 200 police officers were deployed at Surat Thani Airport to ensure immediate response if protesting farmers decided to raid the airport's compound.

Manoon Upala, a protest leader in Surat Thani, said he would wait to hear what the National Rubber Policy Committee says today before planning his next move.

"If there's no satisfactory response, I will coordinate with other protest leaders to seize provincial halls in various provinces, and then we will negotiate with the government from these halls," he said.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, rubber growers have blocked three intersections, while another major road was being blocked in Trang.

In Rayong, some 100 farmers blocked the road leading to the provincial hall yesterday but dispersed hours later.

Settha Pitudecha, a protest leader in Rayong, said the protest in his province had been brought to an end after farmers learned that their peers in Surat Thani had already submitted similar demands to the government.

"We share the same stance," he said, adding that Rayong-based rubber growers would hit the streets again if the government did not offer satisfactory assistance.

Over the past two years, the price of rubber has plunged drastically.

Initially, rubber growers in other regions also planned to stage massive protests this week but called it off after the government promised to lower their production costs.

Meanwhile, National Police Commissioner General Adul Saengsingkaew has instructed police in affected provinces to press charges against protesters who block traffic, hurls stones or attack officials.


-- The Nation 2013-09-05

[webfact]

DEMONSTRATION
Rubber protesters, govt in tense talks
The Nation



Four groups of farmers keen to seek a negotiated solution to problem of prices

BANGKOK: -- The ongoing protests by rubber farmers in several southern provinces have hit logistical networks and the tourism industry in several areas adjacent to the rally sites, halting bus services as well as the transport of frozen seafood products. The authorities are worried that protesters might seize airports in four provinces where they are rallying.

Senior officials held a tense negotiation with a group representing rubber farmers yesterday as part of government efforts to end the rallies. Both sides met at the government complex in northern Bangkok, after 20 people representing four groups of rubber farmers based in Nakhon Si Thammarat agreed to seek an end to the problem through talks. The farmers are demanding that the government intervene to raise the price of raw rubber sheets.

Other groups of protesters, including those based in Surat Thani where the largest protests are taking place, refused to join the meeting with the 20-member delegation, which was flown to Bangkok on a specially chartered flight.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra held an urgent meeting with her three deputies at about 2pm at Government House yesterday, where they discussed the problems caused by the large-scale rallies. The talks with the protest delegation then began at 6pm, an hour later than scheduled, and continued behind closed doors into late evening, and beyond press time.

Fears that the protesters would seize Surat Thani Airport proved unfounded when they decided merely to camp out in its compound. However, the airports in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi and Trang are still a subject of worry and authorities fear a repeat of the situation in 2008, when airports in Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai were seized by yellow-shirt protesters.

So far, the disruption at Krabi Airport has caused 20 tourists to miss their flights, Chamnan Srisawas, chief of the Krabi tourism association said, as he called on protesters to stop blocking roads leading to the airport, especially the Tham Sua intersection.

In Ranong, 50 operators were forced to cancel the delivery of frozen seafood in 300 trucks due to the roadblocks.

Meanwhile, the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) yesterday called on the government to quickly resolve this problem as it has already incurred up to Bt100 million in losses for the tourism industry, affecting both hoteliers and small and big tourist operations. ADT president Yutthachai Soonthronrattana-vate said an open letter would be issued to the government within four days detailing the damage done to the tourism sector if no progress is made.

The five bus routes running to and from Hat Yai to the four affected provinces have been put on hold until further notice, though private vans are still running and manage to avoid the roadblocks by using shortcuts. The 10 train services to and from Bangkok to the affected provinces have also been put on hold, which in turn has affected the postal service.

Deputy Transport Minister Prin Suvanadat said protesters had set up seven roadblocks, which affected Route 4 in the South and a section of Route 3 in Rayong. Commuters or motorists seeking information on alternate transport services or shortcuts can contact the following hotlines: 1356 for road safety; 1193 for highway police; 1586 for highways department service; and 1490 for the Transport Company.

A small group of protesters from Phatthalung were the latest to join the partial blockade of the road leading to Trang and more farmers are expected to join them from Trang itself.

-- The Nation 2013-09-05

[Soupdragon]

Buy all the rubber at inflated prices and make rubber warehouses for the rice. At least they would be waterproof.

[virtualtraveller]

I think the rubber farmers are being unreasonable, but given the greater circumstances I don't feel any sympathy for the govt, let them suffer the problem, they created it.

[jaidam]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

[theblether]

It will be a national disaster if these guys seize an airport. The international press would have a field day.

So that makes it a good threat, that's where it should stay though as trying it on would be an unmitigated disaster for everyone, especially the rubber farmers.

[Tatsujin]

Interesting to see the Police are very keen to perform their duties this year.

[Moruya]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dudu]

Actually if you look at the photo.it looks like some one dressed up a few local lads to pose for the photo.

[mikemac]

"If the protest spirals into airport seizures, we will invoke Article 135/1 of the Criminal Code. The maximum punishment under this clause is death," he warned.

God help them if they do what the redshirts did to Bangkok and some rural centers in 2010.

And did Article 135/1 of the Criminal Code apply in 2010 ? If so Abhisit has nothing to worry about. The government and the army were just enforcing the law.

[laurentbkk]

NOT THE AIRPORT please ....... been blocked in Dubai 10 days when the yellow shirts seize the airport ... as I need to go back there soon .....

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

More to the point why didn't they trot this law out the last two times around?

[belg]

i can see this clearly

airport will not be taken

but the streets a bit further, they will let them do

so leave tourists stranded between the airport and their upfront payed destination

leaving them not to many options

[smutcakes]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

More to the point why didn't they trot this law out the last two times around?

Because the last PM had no balls and could not command the respect of the police force.

I am waiting for a single revolver to be seen in the crowds and then as advocated by TVF the army should shoot them all as terrorists.

[gerry1011]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

... who copied the victorious yellows.

[hellodolly]

Interesting to see the Police are very keen to perform their duties this year.

Darn ran out of likes.

Yes they respond well to who is in power. If the Dems are they do nothing.

If the PTPredshirts are in power they become all powerful acting as parking attendants at red shirt rallies and blocking access to non government supporters rallies.

[Soutpeel]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

... who copied the victorious yellows.

dont remember the yellow shirts trying to burn down BKK....

[hellodolly]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

More to the point why didn't they trot this law out the last two times around?

Because the last PM had no balls and could not command the respect of the police force.

I am waiting for a single revolver to be seen in the crowds and then as advocated by TVF the army should shoot them all as terrorists.

Take a pretty low life to command the respect of the police department.

Edit

Sorry for got to mention lots of teas money.

[geriatrickid]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

Really?

The only goups to seize or target airports have been Democrat supporters such as PAD and now the Surat Thani rubber farmers.

The UDD never targeted airports.

The UDD protests were about fundamental rights as they took on a military junta and a puppet Democrat government.

The current PTP government won an election, something the Democrats couldn't do.

[ginjag]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

Really?

The only goups to seize or target airports have been Democrat supporters such as PAD and now the Surat Thani rubber farmers.

The UDD never targeted airports.

The UDD protests were about fundamental rights as they took on a military junta and a puppet Democrat government.

The current PTP government won an election, something the Democrats couldn't do.

Usual sick comment UDD were perfect never do wrong, They never took on the military, they blockaded the capitol, so the military took on them.

What is it with you ???

[saltandpepper]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

Really?

The only goups to seize or target airports have been Democrat supporters such as PAD and now the Surat Thani rubber farmers.

The UDD never targeted airports.

The UDD protests were about fundamental rights as they took on a military junta and a puppet Democrat government.

The current PTP government won an election, something the Democrats couldn't do.

That is a lesson well learned! Congratulation GK, you eventually had a chance to serve us your usual propaganda.

UDD never targeted airports, only hospitals, commercial areas, government buildings, hotels, and only set Bangkok on fire, as announced.

UDD protests were NOT about fundamental rights. They were about one man only.

The current PTP government won a costly election, and now believes that it can do anything it wants, in blatant disregard of the basic democratic rights.

[outsider]

Had to read the headlines a few times. Initial read gave impression that the airport was suffering from epilepsy

[trainman34014]

So if they decided to block Swampy and/or DM who would stop them ? All very well having lots of Police with shields standing around in photo's but we all know what they did when the yellows closed Swampy....nothing. Maybe it would be different next time but if this bunch of cruds they call a Government were to call in the Army because chicken shit coppers run the other way; and the Army should start shooting a few people what then... Anarchy ?

[ginjag]

Just thinking, get another airport seizure and TAT will be there , count all the protesters and add them to the new arrivals figures.

[webfact]

FOCUS

Global slump leaves Thai rubber farmers reeling
by Pornchai KITTIWONGSAKUL

SURAT THANI, September 5, 2013 (AFP) - When the world car market was powering ahead, rubber from Prajuab Nuipin's plantation in Thailand was in hot demand. But with the boom days over, he is wallowing in debt.

Mounting anger among the kingdom's rubber farmers about the impact of a slump in demand on world markets poses a new challenge to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's two-year-old government.

Prajuab was one of thousands of farmers who joined mass protests this week in southern Thailand, calling for financial help to cushion the blow of a downturn that has seen rubber prices roughly halve since 2011.

"I don't know why the price has fallen but the government must help us," the 41-year-old said.

He said his income had almost halved in recent years to about $1,000 a month from the roughly 16 acres of land in the southern province of Surat Thani where he grows rubber and oil palm trees.

"I'm suffering with the cost of living," said Prajuab, who has debts of about $3,000 and is struggling to feed his four children and meet payments for his truck.

Thailand is the world's top exporter of natural rubber and, like in other Southeast Asian countries, its farmers rushed to plant more saplings when times were good.

But by the time the new trees were ready to tap, the Western and Chinese economies had lost their lustre, leaving the global market with a supply glut as demand for cars and other goods wilted.

"In recent years the global price of rubber has been on the decline mainly because of overproduction coming from countries like Thailand and Indonesia," said Simmathiri Appanah, a natural resources expert formerly with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

"Now others like Vietnam and southern China are also producing rubber so this will definitely affect the market," he told AFP.

"With the economic slowdown in many of the developed countries' economies, demand for these products is going to stall somewhat."

Thai farmers are also struggling to compete with the big rubber estates in countries such as Malaysia which are more cost effective.

Unscrupulous middle men also take a large cut of the profits.

"The middle man is a source of the problem. They can be very rapacious," Appanah said.

"They are usually small traders who undervalue the products and buy it cheap and sell it at better prices in the market. They don't give a decent price to these farmers."

Rubber has also emerged as a political issue in Thailand, which has been rocked by a series of mass protests and sporadic street violence in recent years.

The mosquito-infested rubber plantations of southern Thailand are located in the heartland of the opposition Democrat Party.

The farmers who tap the trees for the milky white latex have accused the government of ignoring their plight while spending billions of dollars on a rice price guarantee scheme seen as mainly benefiting ruling party supporters.

The rice buying programme has placed a heavy burden on the Thai public finances at a time when the world's emerging markets -- once the darling of global investors -- are seeing heavy selloffs of their stocks and currencies.
In another setback to Yingluck, the Thai economy entered a technical recession in the three months to June with a second consecutive quarterly contraction.

The government says another generous price guarantee scheme is something it cannot afford.

So far the rubber protests have been mostly peaceful, but lurking in everyone's minds is the fear of a fresh bout of violence in the politically troubled kingdom.

More than 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed and nearly 1,900 were injured in 2010 as mass demonstrations by supporters of Yingluck's brother, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, descended into Thailand's worst political bloodshed in decades.

The government earlier declined demands to guarantee a rubber price of 120 baht ($3.7) per kilo -- about 50 percent higher than the current price on world markets.

Instead it proposed paying farmers 1,260 baht per rai (0.4 acres) of rubber plantation to help with production costs, along with funds to boost the efficiency of rubber processing -- an offer rejected by the protesters.
The farmers stepped up their pressure on Wednesday by blocking the main entrance to an airport in Surat Thani in southern Thailand used by foreign tourists, although flights continued to operate.

But police said the protesters had dispersed by early Thursday as they awaited a promised response from the government to their latest, reduced demand to guarantee a price of 92 baht per kilo -- about a third more than Prajuab receives now.

If the government accepts the deal, "I will go home," he said.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-09-05

[Baerboxer]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

More to the point why didn't they trot this law out the last two times around?

Because the last PM had no balls and could not command the respect of the police force.

I am waiting for a single revolver to be seen in the crowds and then as advocated by TVF the army should shoot them all as terrorists.

Does the PM of the day command the police? Do they swear allegiance to the PM ?

The police are sworn to uphold and enforce the law. Understand? The law i.e. not show favour to one particular political party, its supporters or master.

The police are sworn to do their duty, not only when it suits them. They do seem very willing to turn out on mass for the current PM. Must really respect him her.

[smutcakes]

..... Maximum punishment is death.....

What kind of barbarity are we about to witness?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

More to the point why didn't they trot this law out the last two times around?

Because the last PM had no balls and could not command the respect of the police force.

I am waiting for a single revolver to be seen in the crowds and then as advocated by TVF the army should shoot them all as terrorists.

Does the PM of the day command the police? Do they swear allegiance to the PM ?

The police are sworn to uphold and enforce the law. Understand? The law i.e. not show favour to one particular political party, its supporters or master.

The police are sworn to do their duty, not only when it suits them. They do seem very willing to turn out on mass for the current PM. Must really respect him her.

I may be wrong, but i believe the police force and the army is technically under the command of the Government. I am happy to be corrected on this though if my understanding is wrong.

[johnnie20110]

Why don't they seize and burn central bangkok? It worked last time for the other bunch. Who the heck cares about some airport in hicksville, get real you rubber farmers and copy the vicorious reds.

... who copied the victorious yellows.

...who copied the originators of street violence, the reds.

[geriatrickid]

I may be wrong, but i believe the police force and the army is technically under the command of the Government. I am happy to be corrected on this though if my understanding is wrong.

The military states that it is only accountable to HM, not to the government of Thailand.

Police come under the minister of the Interior, and technically it is a civilian command.

[MacWalen]

Delicate issue. If the government can overpay for rice why not for rubber. There will be violence for sure.

Sent from my GT-I9190 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app