Rocks thrown as Phuket sea gypsy land dispute flares up

[webfact]

Rocks thrown as Phuket sea gypsy land dispute flares up
The Phuket News


The confrontation escalated after workers from Baron World trade Co moved in with a backhoe and started placing boulders to black access to the sea gypsies’ sacred Balai shrine. Photo: Rawai Sea Gypsies / Facebook

PHUKET: -- The arrival of police in numbers prevented a confrontation between workers and sea gypsies in Rawai from escalating into serious violence yesterday (May 25).

Residents in the area said that about 50 workers arrived with a backhoe at about 1pm and began moving boulders into place to block access to the sea gypsies sacred Balai shrine.

In response, more than 200 sea gypsy villagers then arrived to stop the men from working.

Both parties argued and threw rocks at each other for 30 minutes, then stopped just when Chalong Police Chief Col Nopadon Thiraprawat arrived with more than 50 officers and officials from Rawai Municipality to prevent the dispute from escalating into violence.

While police were trying to talk both parties to cease hostilities, sea gypsies removed the large rocks out of the disputed area and cleared their walkway to the shrine.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/rocks-thrown-as-phuket-sea-gypsy-land-dispute-flares-up-57580.php

-- Phuket News 2016-05-26

[sebastion]

Talk about dejavu.

[Somtamnication]

People will get hurt. It is going to get ugly.

[LivinginKata]

People will get hurt. It is going to get ugly.

It's already ugly ....

[tuanku]

Wow those are damned big rocks to throw!

[sendintheclowns]

This, too, will have a happy ending. Please pass me the law for the rich....