Thai govt urged to tackle problems related to land

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Govt urged to tackle problems related to land
PATINYA SRISUPAMATU,
SUMALI SUWANKORN
THE NATION


Members of the People’s Movement for a Just Society (PMove) and Northern Farmer Union start the march from Chiang Mai to Bangkok yesterday in their bid to |get the government to tackle land problems.

CAMPAIGN IN 22 PROVINCES URGES PROGRESS ON 2014 PLEDGES

BANGKOK: -- THE PEOPLE'S Movement for a Just Society (PMove) yesterday launched a campaign in 22 provinces asking for progress in the government's commitment to solve chronic land-related problems.

PMove is promoting five petitions to be submitted to government pushing for community rights to land and resource management; progress on the land-bank project; ensuring public participation in the establishment of new national parks; reconsidering the problematic forestry master plan; and solving problems related to unused land.

In Chiang Mai, more than 100 activists from PMove and the Northern Farmer Union, led by NFU president Direk Khongngen, gathered at the Three Kings Monument as part of PMove's campaign.

Four representatives of the group - Kaew Khamti, Sukaew Fungfu, Khamsai Panyamee and Sombat Tuidong - have embarked on a walk to Bangkok to give the petitions to the prime minister directly.

Direk said the group wanted to remind the government and urge it to take action regarding disparities in society and land-related problems, which have been the main problems adversely affecting poor and marginalised people for many years.

'No progress'

"Since November 2014 the government promised people that it would take care of these issues," Direk said. "It has been 409 days already with no progress on problem-solving. People are still suffering from the forestland reclamation policy according to the forestry master plan, and many arrests and land reclamations are continuing nationwide."

He said authorities failed to distinguish between capitalists who exploit the forest and ordinary people, adding that more than 1,000 people have been charged with forest-encroachment offences since 2014.

"The forestry master plan is unjustified, hurts people's livelihoods and is not tackling the forest-encroachment problem at its root," Direk said. "Moreover, the plan to set up 21 new national parks within one year is too quick and there are no consultations with local people who may lose their lands as a result."

PMove's main demands include that the National Legislative Assembly consider the Communal Rights Bill; the Land Bank Administration Institute is given five more years to lay the foundations for a land bank; the creation of the 21 new national parks is slowed; and the problems with the forestland reclamation policy are solved.

PMove and its allies have gathered at government offices in 22 provinces to submit petitions to

provincial governors. Meanwhile, the Northeastern Watershed Network also campaigned yesterday in Khon Kaen against the Water Bill, which is being formulated by the Water Resource Department, stating that the bill does not value citizen input.

The network is promoting a "people's version" of the bill instead.

Sirisak Saduak, Northeastern Watershed Network coordinator, said it was very important to encourage and support people in each watershed to manage water resources on their own to ensure quality, equality and social justice associated with water management.

"The group sees that the Water Bill promoted by the Water Resource Department does not let people take part in water management, thus we would like to have a water bill for the people to allow public participation in water management in every watershed," Sirisak said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-urged-to-tackle-problems-related-to-land-30275478.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-23