The criminal court convicted 39 Pakayaw Karen villagers on charges related to illegal loggings and forest encroachment to imprisonment and fines. This is believed to be the first large scale prosecution on the so-called ‘encroachers’ under the junta’s hard-handed approach to increase the forest area.
On Wednesday morning, the Mae Sariang Court of the northern province of Mae Hong Son convicted 24 Pakayaw Karen villagers charged with illegal deforestation to one to seven years of imprisonment. The jail term, however, is suspended for one year. Fifteen others who faced similar charge are fined for 10,000-20,000 baht. Two of the 15, have died before the verdict hearing.
The authority detains Pakayaw Karen villagers accused of illegal logging and encroaching protected forest in Mae Sariang detention facility
The 39 Pakayaw Karen, residing in Tung Pa Ka district of Mae Hong Son Province were arrested by the military on 4 May. They were later charged with land encroachment and logging in protected areas on 28 August by Mae Sariang district prosecutor.
Military and the Royal Forest Department officers confiscate planks of wood the villagers in Don Yai sanctuary claimed to be using for building their houses, Buriram, northeastern Thailand. The authority, however, believes that the villagers cut the wood to sell
According to the Royal Forestry Department, the Karen villagers were cutting down the wood in protected areas for commercial reason. However, the Karen claimed that they only wanted to use the timbers to renovate and build houses within community.
Since the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order announced Order 64/2014 to step up legal measures against protected forest encroachers on 14 June, many ethnic minorities and other marginalised Thai people who are living in the areas overlapping with national parks have been affected.
Earlier on 24 July, three Pakayaw Karen family living in Mai Ngao national park of Mae Hong Son were left destituted after three plots of the families’ farmlands were reclaimed by the Royal Forestry Department.