Thai farmers threaten to occupy all rice warehouses after talks with Govt fail

[Phatcharanan]

All these farmers want is money, money, and more money.

Yeah...........it usually helps to pay their debts and feed their families.

Dummy.

[tonneke breda]

Maybe the farmers should seek Suthep's help in putting pressure on the EC to clearly agree that the caretaker government can borrow the money. While this seems to be the obvious solution, Suthep may feel that any solution would undermine his current anti-government rhetoric.

Are you nuts, they should strip the Shinawatra's of their assets, that would be enough to pay the farmers, and keep paying them for the coming decade

[speedtripler]

Maybe the farmers should seek Suthep's help in putting pressure on the EC to clearly agree that the caretaker government can borrow the money. While this seems to be the obvious solution, Suthep may feel that any solution would undermine his current anti-government rhetoric.

Are you nuts, they should strip the Shinawatra's of their assets, that would be enough to pay the farmers, and keep paying them for the coming decade

most of their assets are offshore invested in places like diamond mines in south africa and god knows where else

taksin was a police chief before he ever went into politics and the money hes probably stolen over his lifetime would

take teams of accountants years to count ......especuially with no paperwork figures for a lifetime of deals done under the table.....

[webfact]

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Threat to block rice storage
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation


Rice farmers and Cabinet ministers meet yesterday at the Commerce Ministry

Farmers walk out as talks fail to fix payment crisis; want to seize PM's assets, warehouses

BANGKOK: -- Frustrated by the government's failure to find a solution for their debts - caused by the pledging scheme - rice farmers threatened yesterday to lay siege to state rice warehouses nationwide.

Kittisak Rattanawaraha, president of the northern farmers, said the siege would seek to prevent the government from doing anything with "our rice". He encouraged farmers across the country to join in the siege today.

The threat was made after a high-profile meeting between the farmers' representatives from 20 provinces with senior government officials could offer no solution for long-overdue payments owned to them under the pledging scheme.

Farmers have also called for the seizure of assets from caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and ministers involved the rice-pledging scheme to make up for their losses.

The farmers said they abandoned the meeting after being told to ask banks to release loans to the government so that they could pay the rice growers.

As they walked out, the farmers said they would continue their demonstrations and pressure the government to resign because it lacked the capability to handle its rice-pledging policy.

The meeting was held at the Defence Ministry, and joined by three caretaker ministers - Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan, Deputy Commerce Minister Natthawut Saikuar, and PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn.

The farmers abandoned the meeting after Niwatthumrong told them to ask the banks to release loans for the government so that it had money to pay the farmers for their rice.

He told the meeting the caretaker government could not borrow from the banks because protesters were blocking the banks.

'No political agenda involved'

Rawee Rungreung, a leader of the farm protesters, said that all the farmers wanted was to get payment under the pledging scheme from the government. The farmers had no political agenda to destroy the government.

"If we [farmers] can get our overdue payment within a short period, we [will recommend] stopping the protest and going back home. But as the government [is not paying] us, we will continue our activities and pressure them to get out as [they do not have the] efficiency to administrate the country," Rawee said.

A farmer interrupted the meeting by standing and saying: "I'm red shirt and I voted for Nuttawut. (However) I have quarrels with my family every morning because I now have no money. I've heard that the government will return the rice - I'm ok to receive back all 21 tonnes."

He said he wondered why he voted for Pheu Thai Party because he could no longer rely on the government, and that all farmers were in a terrible situation.

Speaking after a conclusion was reached among farmers' leaders, Rawee said farmers would today travel to several government-owned rice storage sites in certain central provinces to ask permission to inspect the rice's quality. He did not reveal which provinces or how many sites the farmers would visit today.

Meanwhile, the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO), a state-owned marketing arm of the Commerce Ministry, is negotiating with private companies overseas on buying rice from the government stocks.

Organisation president Chanudpakorn Vongseenin said the PWO was expected to conclude deals with some companies to sell rice in big lots in order to help the government raise money to pay the farmers. The private companies are from countries in Asean, and Europe, China, and the United States.


-- The Nation 2014-02-11

[Ricardo]

Here you go.

Apologies if I break forum rules. I want to highlight the body language and the facial expressions as opposed to the spoken word in this video.

Reminiscent of naughty schoolboys/girls, who've been caught, and are up before the Headmaster !

Ouch, a painful if distant-now memory.

Shifty-eyed, sitting back, nervous fidgeting & wringing-of-hands, the full range.

[allan michaud]

They are going to pay the farmers with 712 million Baht? Guy's you owe them something like 130 billion. <deleted>?

[allan michaud]

Maybe the farmers should seek Suthep's help in putting pressure on the EC to clearly agree that the caretaker government can borrow the money. While this seems to be the obvious solution, Suthep may feel that any solution would undermine his current anti-government rhetoric.

Are you nuts, they should strip the Shinawatra's of their assets, that would be enough to pay the farmers, and keep paying them for the coming decade

Are you stupid? While I would also like to see Thaksin pay out the fact is the Thai govt made an agreement to buy the farmers rice at XX price. They cannot legally renege on this and at some point a Thai govt is going to have to fulfill this agreement and pay up for the rice already bought. I do not understand why some people are so keen to see the already poor farmers lose everything. People are already losing houses, cars, land etc, while these political games are played out.

At the end of the day this or the next Thai govt WILL have to pay it's bill to the farmers, delaying this payment any further only ensures more suffering.

[AleG]

A farmer interrupted the meeting by standing and saying: "I'm red shirt and I voted for Nuttawut. (However) I have quarrels with my family every morning because I now have no money. I've heard that the government will return the rice - I'm ok to receive back all 21 tonnes."

Nattawut and company, the ones behind the "Respect my Vote" "grassroot" movement...

How about "Respect Your Voters"?

[Nickymaster]

I find it incredible that YIngluck hasn't met with even one of the farmers' representatives on even one single occassion. She is Chairwoman and PM. Insult to injury,

You should understand that Yingluck will meet farmers when she needs them. When the farmers need Yingluck, she won't meet them.

[AleG]

I find it incredible that YIngluck hasn't met with even one of the farmers' representatives on even one single occassion. She is Chairwoman and PM. Insult to injury,

You should understand that Yingluck will meet farmers when she needs them. When the farmers need Yingluck, she won't meet them.

"Vote for me and you'll be rich"

Edited February 11, 2014 by AleG

[Trembly]

All these farmers want is money, money, and more money.

Khwai . . . who sells something and doesn't want money?

[scorecard]

A farmer interrupted the meeting by standing and saying: "I'm red shirt and I voted for Nuttawut. (However) I have quarrels with my family every morning because I now have no money. I've heard that the government will return the rice - I'm ok to receive back all 21 tonnes."

Nattawut and company, the ones behind the "Respect my Vote" "grassroot" movement...

How about "Respect Your Voters"?

And respect the right to protest.

[scorecard]

Maybe the farmers should seek Suthep's help in putting pressure on the EC to clearly agree that the caretaker government can borrow the money. While this seems to be the obvious solution, Suthep may feel that any solution would undermine his current anti-government rhetoric.

Are you nuts, they should strip the Shinawatra's of their assets, that would be enough to pay the farmers, and keep paying them for the coming decade

Are you stupid? While I would also like to see Thaksin pay out the fact is the Thai govt made an agreement to buy the farmers rice at XX price. They cannot legally renege on this and at some point a Thai govt is going to have to fulfill this agreement and pay up for the rice already bought. I do not understand why some people are so keen to see the already poor farmers lose everything. People are already losing houses, cars, land etc, while these political games are played out.

At the end of the day this or the next Thai govt WILL have to pay it's bill to the farmers, delaying this payment any further only ensures more suffering.

So what do you suggest?