Rice farmers take PM Yingluck to court

[webfact]

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Farmers take PM to court

In separate legal challenge, charter court ruling to be sought on legitimacy, term of Cabinet

BANGKOK: -- THE Central Administrative Court yesterday accepted a complaint lodged on behalf of a group of rice farmers by public prosecutors, accusing the caretaker prime minister and six government agencies of failing to pay them under the rice-pledging scheme.

The 22 farmers are also demanding payment owed to them for the pledging of seeds, which totals more than Bt2.7 million, plus a 7-per-cent interest on the amount counting from yesterday.

Senior prosecutor Porames Indhara-chumnum said up to 600 farmers were seeking to lodge a lawsuit with the Administrative Court through the Office of the Attorney General. Another class act by a separate group of 20 rice farmers in Chai Nat and Sing Buri would be lodged tomorrow.

In response to calls that public prosecutors should not be defending caretaker premier Yingluck Shinawatra and government agencies who are responsible for the farmers' suffering, Porames said prosecutors had three roles, one of which was defending people's rights. In this case, he said, prosecutors could act as middlemen between the agencies and the farmers, thus making negotiations and payment easier.

The six agencies under fire are the National Rice Policy Committee, the Commerce Ministry, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the Public Warehouse Organisation, the Marketing Organisation for Farmers and the Finance Ministry, Porames said. He added that these agencies came under the Administrative Court's jurisdiction.

A large number of rice farmers are also planning to file lawsuits with the Civil Court, with the help of anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), to seek payment and compensation.

The Senate committee on Fiscal, Financial, Banking and Monetary Institutes, yesterday called a meeting of government agencies involved in the approval of Bt20 billion from the central budget, that will be paid to the farmers, to see if the practice was legal. Many officials could not answer several questions raised by the panel members, who said another meeting was needed to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Trade Department has signed a contract with the Chinese government's state-owned enterprise COFCO for selling it a million tonnes of rice under a government-to-government (G2G) deal.

The deal came after the department's director-general Surasak Riangkrul went on a two-day official trip to Beijing yesterday.

Under the contract, he said, Thailand will sell a million tonnes of mixed types of rice at a free-on-board (FOB) price. The rice delivery will be completed in 12 months. Of that, the first lot of 400,000 tonnes will be delivered from March to July. By the end of this month, about 100,000 tonnes of rice should be delivered. "The government is now in talks with other countries for selling rice and expects that Thailand will see more successful G2G deals soon," Surasak said.

Meanwhile, the opposition Democrat Party, a group of senators and the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) will soon ask the Constitutional Court to clarify the status of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck after the House of Representatives failed to convene within 30 days of the national election, as required by Article 127 of the Constitution.

Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri said the article cannot apply to the current caretaker Cabinet, which maintains its status under Article 181 that stipulates the outgoing Council of Ministers shall remain in office to carry out its responsibilities until the newly appointed Council of Ministers takes office.

Anti-government leader Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday night that he was now preparing to petition the Constitutional Court on whether Yingluck's term as prime minister had expired.

Yingluck's actions to retain her authority are unconstitutional, he said.


-- The Nation 2014-03-06

[hanuman2543]

Yesterday it was a MoU which was signed, today it is a contract. Amazing

Sent from my i-mobile IQ XA using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited March 5, 2014 by hanuman2543

[Robby nz]

The Senate committee on Fiscal, Financial, Banking and Monetary Institutes, yesterday called a meeting of government agencies involved in the approval of Bt20 billion from the central budget, that will be paid to the farmers, to see if the practice was legal. Many officials could not answer several questions raised by the panel members, who said another meeting was needed to discuss the issue.

So they haven't actually got the 20 billion yet, its still being discussed to see if it is legal.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Trade Department has signed a contract with the Chinese government's state-owned enterprise COFCO for selling it a million tonnes of rice under a government-to-government (G2G) deal.

The deal came after the department's director-general Surasak Riangkrul went on a two-day official trip to Beijing yesterday.

Under the contract, he said, Thailand will sell a million tonnes of mixed types of rice at a free-on-board (FOB) price. The rice delivery will be completed in 12 months. Of that, the first lot of 400,000 tonnes will be delivered from March to July. By the end of this month, about 100,000 tonnes of rice should be delivered. "The government is now in talks with other countries for selling rice and expects that Thailand will see more successful G2G deals soon," Surasak said.

So I take it from that a contract has been signed but they aren't telling the price.

As the delivery, FOB, is over a year then I take it the payment will also be over a year.

Every little helps for the farmers but its going to take a long time till they all get paid.

I suspect other rice exporting countries are going to be interested in the price as is the WTO.

[Tatsujin]

This rice will all have rotted away before it's all sold (or mysteriously burnt) . . . what a bunch of morons running this country.

[Chupup]

Seems thaty the farmers won't be getting paid again, another "promise" unfulfilled , as expected ......................

[Davidhere]

In addition to suing government agencies for compensatory damages arising from their unpaid rice, the farmers should also be suing the involved government individuals personally for punitive damages in order to help preclude future similar government scams from beginning.

.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Davidhere

[Fryslan boppe]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[Costas2008]

"The deal came after the department's director-general Surasak Riangkrul went on a two-day official trip to Beijing yesterday."

Tell us the truth Khun Surasak, how much of this money will go in your own pockets?

[Thaddeus]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

One side would call the number 22 a majority, when it suits them

[Melyn]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

I can only assume that you are penning Thaksin's version of Mein Kampf and post snippets on here in your spare time for some instant and free critique

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[AleG]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

I'll go out on a limb and say that you made that up by yourself.

[Fryslan boppe]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

I'll go out on a limb and say that you made that up by yourself.

Thx. for reading my Post, and commenting on it.

No, I didn't make that up myself.....I asked for a written version of this view from a UDD/RS's, and admit to cleaning up the language a tad, for clearer understanding, without changing the intent and meaning one iota. You will notice some Thai-ness remained....I'm not sure what she meant by "First years..." in the third paragraph, or "Elitist private finance..." in the fourth paragraph....I'll let you speculate about that.

Whether one agres or disagrees with that POV, accept it as coming from a Thai Political junkie who can write some English, along the lines where most of us are Farang Political Junkies and native speakers.

I also tried to show it as the direct quote that it was....Not like some who will sometimes indicate what a Thai spouse said to them, trying to validate their POV beyond themselves. Leaving some doubt whether that was actually the case.

Anyway, hope you found it informative.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[hawker9000]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

I'll go out on a limb and say that you made that up by yourself.

Thx. for reading my Post, and commenting on it.

No, I didn't make that up myself.....I asked for a written version of this view from a UDD/RS's, and admit to cleaning up the language a tad, for clearer understanding, without changing the intent and meaning one iota. You will notice some Thai-ness remained....I'm not sure what she meant by "First years..." in the third paragraph, or "Elitist private finance..." in the fourth paragraph....I'll let you speculate about that.

One may disagree with that POV, but accept it as coming from a Thai Political junkie, along the lines where most of us are Farang Political Junkies.

I also tried to show it as the direct quote that it was....Not like some who will sometimes indicate what a Thai spouse said to them, trying to validate their POV beyond themselves. Leaving some doubt whether that was actually the case.

Anyway, hope you found it informative.

"Entertaining" might be a better word...

[Scamper]

As Ms. Yingluck and the members of the former administration now enjoy life as private citizens, these statements have no legal authority. The " work " that is being done is simply show at this point. The " deal " with China is simply a Memorandum of Understanding - a gentleman's agreement, if you will - that in itself acknowledges the lack of a legal basis for negotiation. As there isn't. As Ms. Yingluck is off to Isaan and a fuller immersion into her facebook page, and as more members of the former administration are being pushed in front of the cameras on a daily basis to claim that they are still in charge - and by so doing convincing themselves that that makes it so - the narrative is being pushed that Article 181 simply cancels out Article 127, Article 108, and Article 7. That should be interesting news to the Constitutional Court, as well as the two former members of the Supreme Court, who deemed that the caretaker status of the former administration ended two days ago.

[bander]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

In addition to suing government agencies for compensatory damages arising from their unpaid rice, the farmers should also be suing the involved government individuals personally for punitive damages in order to help preclude future similar government scams from beginning.

.

Government officials is difficult to get since they all blaming each other and nobody want to lose face, case closed, farmers are wrong as usual, blame the poor people without education is the easy way to get rid of the problem

[NeilSA1]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

Farmers take PM to court

BANGKOK: -- THE Central Administrative Court yesterday accepted a complaint lodged on behalf of a group of rice farmers by public prosecutors, accusing the caretaker prime minister and six government agencies of failing to pay them under the rice-pledging scheme.

"..... The 22 farmers are also demanding payment owed to them for the pledging of seeds.......

Senior prosecutor Porames Indhara-chumnum said up to 600 farmers were seeking to lodge a lawsuit with the Administrative Court through the Office of the Attorney General.

Another class act by a separate group of 20 rice farmers in Chai Nat and Sing Buri would be lodged tomorrow.

A large number of rice farmers are also planning to file lawsuits with the Civil Court...."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The occupation of the 22 people are farmers. The headline is correct - Farmers take PM to court

It also appears likely that there will be many more farmers looking at taking legal action.

[slipperx]

This headline talk about "farmers" as if it is every one of them in the country, but then we discover it is only 22.

This steady drumbeat by the Elitists against using the nation's money for the people, including this Rice agricultural support program, reminds me of when they dumped all over the Govt. handling of the flood crisis, being afraid that success would give credit to the PTP and Ms. Y.... On balance, the Govt. and Ms. Y. did very well..... When the critics were challenged to come up with examples internationally of a disaster of similar kind and magnitude that was handled better, the silence in response was deafening.

I inquired of some UDD/RS's what their opinion was of this rice-support program, considering the deluge of criticisms by the coup-mongers, plus their shadowy supporters and Elitists. All of them trying to fabricate an issue as cover for their coupist intentions. And in the process, trying to lay the blame for all imperfections in such a program at the feet of Politicians, when an independent analysis would show huge culpability by the bureaucracy....But one needs to keep in mind, that demonizing Politicians by unelectables is job #1. How better to attack the underpinning of Electoral Democracy.....Besides, the bureaucracy is primarily a constituency of the Elitists, so it would not do to demonize them.

In response to my inquiry from UDD/RS's what they think of this Rice based agricultural support program, I received the following response, that I have tried to paraphrase as accurately as possible:

Rice scheme is very good project for the farmers.

This project protect the farmers who were taken advantage from the merchants for many many years. They buy rice at a cheap price, 6 baht per kilogram and when exporting it, got lot of money. The rice farmers remained very poor. The only group who got benefits from selling rice were the rich. So Rice project help the farmers.

The first years may not have helped much because they sold rice at a cheap price and got little money for many many years, but the next year will be very good for them. Then Suthep and the gangs attack the government for this project because they are afraid Yingluck will be successful and the farmers love this project.

The other government use billions of baht on Elitist private finance , but they don't complain about that.. But when Yingluck want to protect and help the farmers, lot of rich people complain. When Suthep and Abhisit use big money from savings bank to pay to Newin's father-in-law for building 396 fake police stations, and no police station at all, only posts, nobody blame them.

Thai people don't understand that Farang come from democracy country, but support looking down on the poor people and seem to support violent mob from the south.

I think class actions are not very prevalent in Thailand. Added to which who in their right mind would expect every farmer in the Country to file the claim? The headline is correct.