Thai villagers fight a losing battle in 2015

[webfact]

Villagers fight a losing battle in 2015
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation



Widespread land reclamation and environmental degradation enabled by govt programmes and complicit army authorities

BANGKOK: -- THE YEAR 2015 has been another tough one for victims of environmental degradation and exploitation. Experts say people suffering because of development projects and government policies are subjected to human rights violations and repression.

As an example, since the beginning of the year, numerous reports told of communities shattered by the implementation of forest land reclamation policies. Entire rubber fields belonging to villagers who lived in the forest long before the establishment of national parks have been razed. Authorities have also demolished the houses of some villagers.

Prayong Doklamyai, from the People's Movement for a Just Society, has campaigned for those affected by the government's forest reclamation policy since the order was issued in 2014. He said the actions taken in 2015 against communities in the |forest were not always as bad as those in the previous year, but more than 180,000 rai (28,800 hectares) still had been reclaimed this year.

"Actually, the progress of the government to push this policy in 2015 was harder, because the goal of forest reclamation for the year was 600,000 rai," Prayong said.

"According to the implementation of this policy, 1,030 people were arrested under the charge of forest encroachment. None of them could be identified by authorities as to whether they were capitalists or just poor farmers."

He said the government's goal to reclaim 40 per cent of forest within 10 years was unrealistic and the forestry master plan conflicted with people's livelihoods and violated |communal rights.

He said government also had not taken serious measures to help poor and landless people. Progress to found a land bank has been slow; the communal-deeds office was closed leading to the suspension of |communal-land management problem-solving; and there was no discussion with local people prior to the establishment of new national parks.

Major issues this year involved not only land seizures, but also environmental degradation caused by pollution from gold mines, petroleum drilling and other development projects severely affecting the health and quality of life of nearby populations.

Chainarong Sretthachau, Maha Sarakham University lecturer, said many communities, especially in the North and East regions, suffered this year not only because of environmental problems, but because their voices were suppressed by big companies who owned the projects and the local authorities who supported them.

"Clear examples of public misery can be seen at a gold mine in Loei's Wang Saphung district and a petroleum-drilling site in Khon Kaen's Kranuan district where locals were seriously repressed by officers to protect the benefits of the mining and petroleum companies," Chainarong said.

He gave the example of the site in Loei guarded by the Army since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came to power in 2014. Protests against the gold mine were restricted, people who opposed it were sued, and even academics found it difficult to gather information in the area.

"The voices of the people there were silenced by the company and authorities, both by force and legal power. But the health and environmental problems in the area still exist and are hazardous," he said.

"Also at the petroleum drilling site near Ban Namun [in Kranuan], people there could not stop the drilling operation, which was guarded by the authorities."

He said even at a gold mine in Phichit province, where there had not been intervention by the authorities despite media reports to the contrary, there had not been substantial help for local people affected by heavy metal contamination.

"The authorities often consider environment activism as linked with politics and think of it as a threat. Therefore, the suffering of the people will not end soon," he added.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Villagers-fight-a-losing-battle-in-2015-30275785.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-28

[trogers]

I was looking for words like trespassers and squatters and found the word villagers in their place.

Is the reporter trying to create his own version of 'truth'?

[JAG]

1. "According to the implementation of this policy, 1,030 people were arrested under the charge of forest encroachment. None of them could be identified by authorities as to whether they were capitalists or just poor farmers."

A clue, if they pole up on a 15 year old Honda bike, with 40 baht in their pockets, they are probably poor farmers. If they pole up in a new SUV, dripping with gold, there is a remote possibility that they may be capitalists.

2."As an example, since the beginning of the year, numerous reports told of communities shattered by the implementation of forest land reclamation policies. Entire rubber fields belonging to villagers who lived in the forest long before the establishment of national parks have been razed. Authorities have also demolished the houses of some villagers."

Doesn't sound like encroachment to me, sounds like a land grab by the National Park Authority...

[tbthailand]

I was looking for words like trespassers and squatters and found the word villagers in their place.

Is the reporter trying to create his own version of 'truth'?

this is a long-standing issue. Sometimes the "squatters" were there first. In other cases, given the way land titles have been handled in Thailand for decades and decades, there is no one who can make a clear, clean claim.

I'm curious to know who you feel are the criminals in cases like the following as listed in the OP.

Chainarong Sretthachau, Maha Sarakham University lecturer, said many communities, especially in the North and East regions, suffered this year not only because of environmental problems, but because their voices were suppressed by big companies who owned the projects and the local authorities who supported them.

"Clear examples of public misery can be seen at a gold mine in Loei's Wang Saphung district and a petroleum-drilling site in Khon Kaen's Kranuan district where locals were seriously repressed by officers to protect the benefits of the mining and petroleum companies," Chainarong said.

He gave the example of the site in Loei guarded by the Army since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came to power in 2014. Protests against the gold mine were restricted, people who opposed it were sued, and even academics found it difficult to gather information in the area.

??

[oneday]

"...Widespread land reclamation and environmental degradation enabled by govt programmes and complicit army authorities..."

I love it. That says it all -- big government ruining the livelihoods and lives of the poor. They do it because they can.

[JAG]

1. "According to the implementation of this policy, 1,030 people were arrested under the charge of forest encroachment. None of them could be identified by authorities as to whether they were capitalists or just poor farmers."

A clue, if they pole up on a 15 year old Honda bike, with 40 baht in their pockets, they are probably poor farmers. If they pole up in a new SUV, dripping with gold, there is a remote possibility that they may be capitalists.

2."As an example, since the beginning of the year, numerous reports told of communities shattered by the implementation of forest land reclamation policies. Entire rubber fields belonging to villagers who lived in the forest long before the establishment of national parks have been razed. Authorities have also demolished the houses of some villagers."

Doesn't sound like encroachment to me, sounds like a land grab by the National Park Authority...

But there again, if they pole up in a SUV, dripping with gold, of course they won't be arrested.

Silly me!

[tuanku]

1. "According to the implementation of this policy, 1,030 people were arrested under the charge of forest encroachment. None of them could be identified by authorities as to whether they were capitalists or just poor farmers."

A clue, if they pole up on a 15 year old Honda bike, with 40 baht in their pockets, they are probably poor farmers. If they pole up in a new SUV, dripping with gold, there is a remote possibility that they may be capitalists.

2."As an example, since the beginning of the year, numerous reports told of communities shattered by the implementation of forest land reclamation policies. Entire rubber fields belonging to villagers who lived in the forest long before the establishment of national parks have been razed. Authorities have also demolished the houses of some villagers."

Doesn't sound like encroachment to me, sounds like a land grab by the National Park Authority...

A standard approach for a wealthy encroacher is to pay impoverished locals to clear the land and then squat on it for 10 years. At the end of that time they have some rights due to long term occupancy and can leverage corrupt officials into issuing papers. at this point the wealthy individual takes over, probably multiple plots, and develops his resort/golf course/petting zoo etc. So the appearance of the person arrested does not always provide a guide to the influence behind the encroachment. Wealthy people are NOT arrested.

[FangFerang]

I was looking for words like trespassers and squatters and found the word villagers in their place.

Is the reporter trying to create his own version of 'truth'?

You must have missed the part about the villagers living there before the land was declared public land, and given no alternative were therefore put between a rock and a hard place-- force majeure made intentional.

Are you cherry picking, trying to create your own version of "truth"?

[trogers]

I was looking for words like trespassers and squatters and found the word villagers in their place.

Is the reporter trying to create his own version of 'truth'?

You must have missed the part about the villagers living there before the land was declared public land, and given no alternative were therefore put between a rock and a hard place-- force majeure made intentional.

Are you cherry picking, trying to create your own version of "truth"?

Before being declared public land...

Whose land was that? Any papers on ownership by the villagers? Or where they still squatters before the declaration?

[elgordo38]

1. "According to the implementation of this policy, 1,030 people were arrested under the charge of forest encroachment. None of them could be identified by authorities as to whether they were capitalists or just poor farmers."

A clue, if they pole up on a 15 year old Honda bike, with 40 baht in their pockets, they are probably poor farmers. If they pole up in a new SUV, dripping with gold, there is a remote possibility that they may be capitalists.

2."As an example, since the beginning of the year, numerous reports told of communities shattered by the implementation of forest land reclamation policies. Entire rubber fields belonging to villagers who lived in the forest long before the establishment of national parks have been razed. Authorities have also demolished the houses of some villagers."

Doesn't sound like encroachment to me, sounds like a land grab by the National Park Authority...

Targeting 40% of the National Forest Land? I wonder if it will be returned to its natural state or to the state period or to a 3rd party in cahoots with the 2nd party.

[Rimmer]

A personal attack has been removed

[MaeJoMTB]

Whose land was that? Any papers on ownership by the villagers?

Most of the land in the world doesn't have papers to show ownership.

In England 2001, I purchased a house and land in Cornwall that didn't have papers to show ownership.

In Thailand my wife has been assigned land (30 rai of forest) by her village head man, still no papers.

Plenty of places in Thailand where no ownership papers exist, just the word of the village head man.

In the past, you killed claim jumpers or they killed you. Survivor owned the land.

Guess we're more civilized now, only the poor suffer.

[tbthailand]

"...Widespread land reclamation and environmental degradation enabled by govt programmes and complicit army authorities..."

I love it. That says it all -- big government ruining the livelihoods and lives of the poor. They do it because they can.

and because by doing so, they enrich themselves and their buddies...

[Remi080]

Did anyone think about the other life and environmental degradation that happend around the outside villages of Bangkok??

Like build garbage dump site's, recycling factory's near house parks and schools? Gues not.

Deforesting land and get rid of natural pools/ small lake's, to build waste recycling site's. what happend with the

"Get rid of plastic bags" actions? Beach cleaning day's ? Did you guy's know that the media is not alowed to report on topics like this? Oh a other sticky one for you.. The plastic waste under water in the sea that they cleaned..... Well i shall tell ya.. Its back, and more than ever! thai start to look like a bunch of wanna bee's, They want to join the club, but cant, and there people have to shut up.

Sorry, things start to pile up and make me sick. Specially that after living in thai for 15 years, still so much crap and plastic everywhere you look. Still so many times that electricity fails, water not run, and dogs who collect garbage faster than the garbage trucks. Crappy infra struckture, people still dont speak english, and its a mess everywhere, still no fair solutions for foreign people who live in thailand. Wanna-bee's! Had to get this off my chest! Sorry for spelling mistakes.

[Doc46]

To Whom did the land belong in the first place?Not now not 10 years ago but Lets say 200 years ago Take it from there so to speak,I don't know ..You don't know,, maybe the Government does/don't know ,,Maybe the people do/don't know?