Farmers Plan Protests Against The Government For Rice Payments

[waerth]

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-plan-protests-government-rice-payments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=farmers-plan-protests-government-rice-payments

 

Rice farmers have threatened mass protests against the government for its repeated broken promises to pay them for the crops which were “pledged†with the government dating back to as long as last October.

Mr Prasit Boonchoey, president of Thai Rice Farmers Association, said Tuesday that the association’s representatives who are farmers in various provinces have held discussions about the actions to be taken after the government has kept postponing the delayed payments originally from the end of last year to January 15, then January 25 and, lately, to January 31.

The government’s repeated procrastination of the payments shows that it is not sincere with the farmers and has kept lying all the time, said Mr Prasit, adding that farmers have been suffering badly because they need the money to make a living, to pay their debts, to pay rentals to the landlords or to pay the school fees of their children.

He indicated that the farmers had no choice but to “come out†to make their demand. He also dismissed the government’s claim that the delayed payments were caused by the protesters’ closure of the Finance Ministry, noting that the siege was over several weeks ago “and yet the government has no money to pay the farmersâ€.

Prasit went on saying that rice farmers these days are not stupid and are fully aware of the situation.

[Flashermac]

 

Where's our money! Why won't you give it to us!

[cavanami]

What was said a few years/centuries back...let them eat cake!

[Flashermac]

Only Pheu Thai is saying let them eat kaka ...

[cavanami]

You can use Thai...let them eat kee

[Flashermac]

Angry farmers to protest as government misses another payment promise

 

 

More than 2,000 farmers from the North will escalate their protests after the caretaker government failed to meet its promise to pay for the pledged rice yesterday by the deadline.

 

The farmers said they would block the Asia 117 route from Phitsanulok to Nakhon Sawan.

 

Today the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will hold a press conference on the rice-pledging scheme case, naming those against whom it will press charges.

 

Prasart Phongsivapai, a member of anti-graft body, said yesterday the charge of corruption in the rice-pledging project could cover Phum Saraphon, the former deputy commerce minister as well as former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom in addition to some senior officials at the ministry and private companies involved in the deal.

 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was not included, as she was never under investigation over the scheme, he said.

 

However, the charged officials could continue in their posts until the anti-graft body found grounds to indict them, he said.

 

The move follows farmers' disappointment at the delay in payment for the pledged rice. The government had promised to release the funds yesterday. Farmers at Phichit yesterday stood in line to receive their payment for the 2013-14 harvest season from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, but they did not receive it. They have kept their rice sales certificates for two months, which show only Bt180 million was paid to them on Monday, according to a reporter.

 

Phichit's group of farmers will lead the protest along with others from Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Kamphaengphet and Phitsanulok.

 

Yesterday, Warong Dechgitvi-grom, a former Democrat Party MP at Phitsanulok, urged the farmers to oust caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, instead of waiting in a vain hope for the payment of Bt130 billion for the pledged rice.

 

"The government cannot do as it promised...It's now the fourth time, saying it would pay for the pledged rice by the exact date [the government had said it would pay by January 15]," he said.

 

Caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Tanusak Lekuthai yesterday conceded the government could not pay all farmers for the pledged rice by yesterday as promised, "due to the difficulty of the process".

 

The BAAC has gradually paid the farmers Bt3 billion a day. However, he said the government believed it could use the BAAC's liquidity first, in line with the Cabinet meeting's previous approval.

 

The funds for the pledged rice have come from sales of rice, the government's budget and BAAC's liquidity.

 

Since 2011 to 2013, the Yingluck government has sold about 10 million tonnes of rice on a government-to-government (G-to-G) contract basis. Since the 2011 deal, the Commerce Ministry claimed it could earn almost Bt180 billion in rice sales under G-to-G contracts with many countries, as well as those from sales under the bidding basis, opened for rice traders.

 

However, the government has never disclosed any clear information about the G-to-G rice deals, claiming it would affect the trading partner's security.

 

Observers estimate the government has faced some losses from the G-to-G rice deals. Moreover, during the time the government made deals with the partners, the world rice price fell. The cost of pledged rice is now higher than the market price.

 

Countries that were said to strike G-to-G rice deals were China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iraq, and countries in Africa.

 

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (AFET) has postponed the bidding for rice from the state's stockpiles from yesterday to next Tuesday in response to demands of rice traders.

 

The rice for bidding will include white rice 5 per cent and jasmine rice 100 per cent grade B from the 2013-14 harvest season, and the bidding price will rely on AFET's first trading of 2014.

 

 

 

 

http://www.nationmul...t-30224415.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[waerth]

Farmers to march into Bangkok

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-march-bangkok/

 

Farmers from five lower northern and central provinces will march into the capital over the next few days if their demand for the rice payment is still not met by the government.

Farmer leader Kittisak Ratanawarahal, president of the Network for Northern Farmers, said farmers from Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Kamphaengpet, and Phitsanulok will march into the capital with their farm trucks.

They are coming not to demand for money now but to oust the caretaker government.

He made clear that the farmer protest in Bangkok will not join with the anti-government protests hosted by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) but purely to boot out the insincere government which always telling lies to the farmers.

He said that the farmers hoped they would get the money yesterday but were told by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives that it has no cash to pay.

Farmers not only have no money to lead their normal live and farming but have to pay for interest of loans they sought from loan sharks.

These interests have to be absorbed by the government, he said.

He said farmers will first rally at the town halls of each respective province to await answer for their payment and later march to block the Asian Highway.

If nothing was responded they will come to Bangkok to oust the government, he said.

[waerth]

Mixed reaction by rice farmers after payment delays

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mixed-reaction-rice-farmers-payment-delays/

 

Rice farmers from across the country started to gather and close road access to the north, to protest the government’s inability to settle payment for the rice pledging scheme where the final payments should have been made by today and tomorrow.

A bigger group is expected tomorrow as more farmers from various parts of the country are expected to join the protest.

Farmers from Petchabun province today gathered at Suksa Charoen, the province’s commercial district, where the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is located. They demanded that the authorities take responsibility for the rice pledging scheme as until today payment for the sold rice is now four months overdue.

At the same time, a group of farmers today gathered before the Bung Sammakhi branch of the BAAC in Petchabun demanding payment from the bank. To settle the matter, the bank’s director called the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives who stated that all outstanding payments would be settled by the end of January 2014. The farmers seemed to have been satisfied by this and dispersed after the announcement was made.

Likewise, farmers in Buriram province gathered at the provincial town hall to demand immediate payment of the pledged paddy valued at 4.173 billion baht. The provincial governor was present to take-in the farmers’ demands and promised to discuss the issue with the Central Government and identify viable assistance to them. The group here was happy with this declaration and dispersed thereafter.

Elsewhere, farmers from the country’s five northeastern provinces today announced that its members will gather to close-off entry into provincial town halls around the country. This includes gathering at the Nakhon Sawan – Phitsanulok Highway at Phichit province to cut off access into the northeast. A further 3,000 farmers from Ladyao district, Nakhon Sawan province, are expected to join the Phichit farmers in their protest tomorrow.

Similarly, Lopburi rice farmers are planning to gather and blockade several main access roads tomorrow. But they cooled off their protest when provincial governor that authorities would hasten payment settlement to the paddy farmers as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile in Angthong province, the paddy farmers council for the central region’s ten provinces is compiling a report detailing the number of farmers that have been affected by the delayed payment with the objective of filing a legal suit against the government for damages incurred. . The group also plans to gather at main access highways within the central region to blockade access within the region and will move on to cut access in the northeast next week.

Likewise, rice farmers from the country’s eight western provinces today submitted a formal ultimatum to the provincial government to settle payments within this Monday, 20 January 2014. The group also plans to hold rally to pressure the government to expedite immediate payment of the overdue vouchers.

[Flashermac]

PDRC occupies ministry HQ, but eschews violence

 

 

The Nonthaburi-based chapter of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is preparing to turn the Public Health Ministry into its headquarters.

 

The plan was unveiled after its demonstrators entered the ministry's compound in Nonthaburi but without forcing officials to stop working.

 

"We will set up a stage, kitchens and prayer rooms for Muslim demonstrators here," Rachen Trakulviang said in his capacity as the chair of the group.

 

He said screens would be erected in the ministry's compound on which demonstrators could watch the live broadcast of proceedings on the main stage at the Pathumwan intersection in Bangkok. Former senator and health advocate Jon Ungpakorn, meanwhile, has urged the ministry's permanent-secretary Dr Narong Sahametapat to resign following his announced desire not to work with the government.

 

Hundreds of PDRC protesters yesterday entered the ministry to ramp up pressure on the Yingluck Shinawatra-led caretaker government.

 

Protesters led by Issara Somchai, a key PDRC leader, also stormed the Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department, suspecting caretaker minister Pradit Sintavanarong might have been hiding inside the building.

 

Issara had instructed his security guards to use keys and chains to lock one room of the department as a symbol of blocking the ministry.

 

Rachen said his group would not cut power and water supplies to the ministry as protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban had not ordered it.

 

He said cutting the utilities would affect the pharmaceutical and medical equipment kept at the ministry.

 

As there are two hospitals located around the ministry, Rachen said his group would not block the road and would help patients access the hospitals. He added that his group was considering measures to encourage more government officials to join its rally.

 

"We may launch a flash-mob campaign at the ministry," he said.

 

In Nonthaburi province, the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (UDD) is also active.

 

Rachen said he and UDD leaders had already agreed avoid confrontation.

 

"We have resolved that we want Nonthaburi to be a model for peaceful demonstration," he said.

 

In a related development, Jon suggested Narong not drag the ministry into the arena of political movements.

 

"He should resign and tell the public about his reason to quit the ministry, instead of announcing the ministry will not work with the government." he said.

 

However, he was not worried that Narong's expressing his political stance would create further conflict in the ministry or other government agencies.

 

A housekeeper who wanted to be unnamed said she would be affected by the PDRC's movement to block the ministry as she would not be able to enter the building to work and get paid by her company. "I will not get my daily wages if I can't work," she said.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PDRC-occupies-ministry-HQ-but-eschews-violence-30224498.html

[Mekong]

NACC charges 15, says Yingluck should also be held accountable as it probes her role

 

In another blow to embattled caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the anti-graft agency yesterday decided to investigate her in connection with the alleged irregularities in the government's controversial rice pledging scheme.

 

The fact-finding committee of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) concluded that the caretaker prime minister should also be held responsible for wrongdoing involving the project, besides other suspects.

 

The panel found that she was aware of the losses caused by the project but failed to prevent it, NACC member Vicha Mahakhun said.

 

The panel will submit its report to the commissioners for further investigation.

 

Yingluck ducked questions from reporters on the decision.

 

The NACC also ruled there was no evidence substantiating the government-to-government rice deals claimed by Yingluck's government and pressed charges against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, former deputy commerce minister Phum Saraphon and 13 alleged accomplices.

 

The committee will also investigate Yingluck's alleged failure to try to stop the damage done to the country by the pledging project.

 

Vicha said the committee would summon the 15 suspects to explain themselves within 15 days. About nine officials from the Foreign Trade Department are involved. However, the charged officials could continue in their posts until the anti-graft body finds grounds to indict them.

 

Vicha said there were thousands of pages of documents and hundreds of witnesses. There are also companies involved. Of these, charges will be pressed against well-known rice trader Siam Indica, as it was named as an agent in a G2G deal to ship rice overseas for the government.

 

Siam Indica was suspected of selling rice that the company had won through domestic bidding instead of shipping it overseas. The firm allegedly intended to evade taxes, and the committee ordered the Revenue Department to demand back taxes.

 

The NACC also instructed the Foreign Trade Department to cease all activities and plans to sell rice, as it leads to corruption.

 

Deputy Commerce Minister Yangyong Phuangrach urged the NACC to ask trading-partner countries, as well as foreign embassies, about the contracts to balance its investigation of the case, saying they are real.

 

Former commerce minister Boonsong said he was prepared for the investigation. He will not allow anybody to make accusations and will discuss the matter with his legal team soon.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-being-probed-in-fake-G2G-rice-deal-30224505.html