Suthep keen for alliance with angry farmers

[webfact]

RICE SCHEME
Suthep keen for alliance with angry farmers
Phanu Suphan
The Nation


Ratri Kesornsuk, a farmer from Ang Thong, weeps while speaking to reporters outside the Commerce Ministry, where farmers had gathered to protest yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- The Suthep Thaugsuban-led anti-government movement appears to be seeking an alliance with rice farmers as the embattled caretaker government struggles to find the money owed to the farmers under the price-pledge scheme.

Yesterday, Suthep, the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader, led another march in Bangkok to raise money for farmers who have not been paid for their crops by the government. A further fund-raising march is planned for Monday.

Suthep said yesterday's march through the main business district of Silom and adjacent areas aimed to collect at least Bt10 million in donations from the public. The money would go towards financing the farmers' own protests, said PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan.

In a repeat of previous PDRC marches on Bangkok streets, supporters and sympathisers lined the street to hand cash to Suthep.

The government owes more than a million farmers a total of Bt140 billion under its rice-pledging scheme, a policy that helped the ruling Pheu Thai Party win the 2011 general election but has now run dry of funds. The rice scheme is also the subject of an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

However, rice growers are split over who should be blamed for the authorities' defaulting on debts owed. One group of farmers blames the government while another group points the finger at the PDRC.

More than 400 farmers left their road blockade in Kanchanaburi yesterday to join farmers who have been protesting at the Commerce Ministry in Nonthaburi since Thursday.

Many also marched from the ministry to the NACC office to request that the anti-graft agency speed up its investigation into the rice-pledging scheme. After an hour-long meeting between representatives of both sides, the farmers said they were satisfied with a promise that the results of the investigation would be delivered within the next few months.

About 100 Nakhon Phanom farmers gathered yesterday at the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, threatening to blockade it with a force of 10,000 protesters if the government failed to pay what it owed them within seven days. The 18,789 Nakhon Phanom farmers under the scheme are owed a total of Bt1.39 billion by the government. Elsewhere, more than 250 farmers in Kamphaeng Phet and more 1,000 in Suphan Buri yesterday submitted letters to provincial governors asking Suthep to help push through loans to pay the rice scheme's debts.

The Kamphaeng Phet growers also asked him to help alleviate the plight of more than 30,000 farming households in the province that have not had rice-pledge payments for the past four to five months.

In Phitsanulok, a group of about 200 farmers gathered at the city hall, calling on Suthep's help to push through funds for the rice scheme.

A government proposal that rice millers accept receipts from farmers under the scheme has met with reluctance on the part of the rice millers.

Rice Millers Club of Phichit vice chairman Wirat Limthongsomjai said it was unlikely rice millers would accept the pledge receipts because they were already under financial stress. Banks have extended a total Bt300-million credit limit to farmers, while the farmers' debt totals billions of baht.

"Moreover, each miller will have to reserve cash to buy rice from the next crop," Wirat said.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut agreed with the government's idea to encourage rice millers to lend farmers up to 50 per cent of the value of their pledge receipts. But he said the government would have to pay the interest incurred from this deal.


-- The Nation 2014-02-08

[TVGerry]

The enemy of my enemy...

[retsdon]

I'm sure Suthep spends night after sleepless night tossing on his pillow, worrying himself sick about the plight of unpaid rice farmers.

[Confuscious]

Suthep should read a little bit history.

Specially the history of "The horse of Troje".

[Thailand]

What a pathetic little man grabbing at any straws to keep himself in the limelight.

He could not give a toss about the farmers, and has a lot to do with their not being paid in the first place!

[ezzra]

'Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows'

[spirit47]

Suthep unites what has divided by the shin-clan. More and more, I see this man acting without political bonds, I admire him. Abhisit can learn from him and do someting, like a public fund for rice-farmers in need. Im sure in a week have enough money to help some small farmers to back in a normal life...

[chainarong]

Both protest are at odds with each other, one is to remove the government, the other just wants to be payed, I would hesitate to join an unruly mob that originally started out as a the successful Amnesty Bill Protest, the point being , that it is all very well to remove the government in a un -democratic way, but will it stop there and how will the farmers problem be factored into to the Suthep experiment .

[Siripon]

He constantly outwits the dull government.

All Yingluck can say is the word ' democracy' , Surapong and Paraodon sit looking glum, Plodprasop has disappeared' and as for the fearless Dr Chalerm- plainly, he's enjoying his war of words with Suthep to compete for the most broken deadlines.

[tx22cb]

Suthep marched yesterday (Fri) to collect money "for farmers". He plans to do the same on Monday.

However, he says that he will withhold "some" of this money to be used (by him) on behalf of the farmers.

Old habits die hard ....

[LuckyLew]

What a pathetic little man grabbing at any straws to keep himself in the limelight.

He could not give a toss about the farmers, and has a lot to do with their not being paid in the first place!

and how much do you care about the farmers?

you can knock Suthep all you want but it was not he that pilfered all the money the farmers are owed

[tonbridgebrit]

So, according to this report, over a million farmers are owed a lot of money. Maybe the Democrats should reach out to these one million voters, and get them to support the Dems.

It's not going to happen is it ? That's because the Democrats are a party who mainly represent Thailand's elite and middle-class !!

[Prbkk]

The enemy of my enemy...

Hoary handed men and women of toil they may be, stupid they are not.....

[gerry123]

The enemy of my enemy...

Hoary handed men and women of toil they may be, stupid they are not.....

good quote but only 50/50 acurate

[Nip]

The enemy of my enemy...

Hoary handed men and women of toil they may be, stupid they are not.....

That as maybe but some would say .... Stupid they were.That said whose buying votes now?

[Thailand]

What a pathetic little man grabbing at any straws to keep himself in the limelight.

He could not give a toss about the farmers, and has a lot to do with their not being paid in the first place!

and how much do you care about the farmers?

you can knock Suthep all you want but it was not he that pilfered all the money the farmers are owed

I terms of relative percentage? Farmers 100 per cent Suthep big fat zero, does that answer your question?

[jaapfries]

The enemy of my enemy...

Hoary handed men and women of toil they may be, stupid they are not.....

TVGerry: I have to agree with you: the average Thai' farmer is not stupid.

The difference between "stupid" on the one hand, - and "ignorant" on the other - is clearly axiomatic here !

[Rich teacher]

Sign on the left says, "Suthep. Don't use the farmers to gain political advantage"

[PaulHamon]

Bf4GzY4CUAED4Vu.jpg

Sign on the left says, "Suthep. Don't use the farmers to gain political advantage"

really... it's that that the other guys been doing for years?

[Ruin]

The poison dwarf seems to have lost a lot of cadual support. Had to close several blocks. Saw Asoke with only a dozen people yesterday. The marches are not as populated as before. He must be grasping at straws to gain fuel for his fire from those guys that his supporters said were too stupid to be allowed to vote.

[mojorison]

Highlights his delusion.

[Familyonthemove]

The practicality of politics. That's why we're not politicians - we are fool enough to believe in causes.

But if they'd formed an alliance before the election - they would have won.

Doh!

[JamesHawkins]

And who are the ones holding the sign? PTP MPs and execs...and UDD members.

[wernerkl]

So, according to this report, over a million farmers are owed a lot of money. Maybe the Democrats should reach out to these one million voters, and get them to support the Dems.

It's not going to happen is it ? That's because the Democrats are a party who mainly represent Thailand's elite and middle-class !!

A 5% minority!?

[rickirs]

Suthep marched yesterday (Fri) to collect money "for farmers". He plans to do the same on Monday.

However, he says that he will withhold "some" of this money to be used (by him) on behalf of the farmers.

Old habits die hard ....

Hasn't Suthep bought enough property that he needs more? Maybe he's planning on becoming a rice farmer.

[MaxLee]

Be careful Farmers, or he'll screw you over as well,...

[backtonormal]

Suthep unites what has divided by the shin-clan. More and more, I see this man acting without political bonds, I admire him. Abhisit can learn from him and do someting, like a public fund for rice-farmers in need. Im sure in a week have enough money to help some small farmers to back in a normal life...

Your post indicates that you are "middle class educated local" maybe with a strong political agenda. Suthep is a clown and those that follow are......

[rickirs]

And Suthep will do exactly what for the farmers, make them feel better that the Great Leader is on their side, let them borrow his tent reservation system? If the Government can't pay the farmers through bank loans or through treasury bonds, how would Suthep do any better for the farmers getting paid? Remember he and his party are no longer in the parliament and objected to banks considering any loans to the government to pay the farmers. I think what he wants to do is get the farmers to co-demonstrate in Bangkok as part of his own protests to bolster his own dwindling "Occupy Bangkok" efforts. Other than that ,he has no interest in the farmer's plight and probably welcomes it as another pressure point against the Yingluck administration.

[tom21]

if it was not for Suthep the government would of had the money to pay the farmers. the lost government earnings and lost earnings from tourism would of been enough to pay the rice famers.The diesel subsidy ends at the end of this month so who is going to extend that if it is not extended there be plenty of money

[Suriya4]

I'm sure Suthep spends night after sleepless night tossing on his pillow, worrying himself sick about the plight of unpaid rice farmers.

... on the bed of the presidential suite of Dusit Thani Hotel.