Farmers in Chaiyaphum face eviction under junta’s order

Poor people across the country continue to be affected from the junta’s policy to reclaim protected area. The latest eviction is taking place against 800 families of six villages in northeastern province of Chaiyaphum who is facing eviction without any relocation plan. 

 

Isan villagers who live in the protected area of the Sai Thong National Park, Wangtakae Sub-district, Nongbuaraheaw District, are facing state campaign to evict them since June 2014. Villagers told Esaan Land Reform News (ELRN) that the national park officers have tricked them to sign documents, saying that they willingly agree to give up their land plots. One document after another until last month that the authorities went to evict the villager from the plots.  

 

On 1 April 2016,  the national park issued a document, asking the villagers who live in the park’s area to move out by the end of April. Otherwise, they will be strictly prosecuted. 

 

The authorities claimed the campaign is under the the junta’s Return the Forest policy, appeared in the NCPO Order No. 64/2014. The junta’s NCPO also issued Order No. 67/2014, which states that people who had settled in certain areas before they were declared protected and poor people shall not face prosecution under the new forest policy.

 

ELRN reported that local communities have lived in the area for many generations even before the authorities demarcated the national park’s area over their plots.

 

Sudee Nao-o-lo, a villager living in the national park’s area, told ELRN that authorities first visited her on 9 June 2014, saying that signing the document mean she gives consent to the authorities for forest restoration. A month later, the authorities visited her again and told her to leave the area otherwise she will be prosecuted. She unwillingly gave up some of her lands despite the fact she inherits those lands from her ancestors, ELRN reported. 

 

In late January 2016, the authorities visited her for the third time and forced her to remove any structure and agricultural products by March. Now she has become landless and has to work as a freelancer.  

 

Pirot Wongngan, a villager, told ELRN that villagers has filed petitions to government agencies such as the Permanent Secretary's Office of Prime Minister, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and National Human Rights Commision. According to Pirot, no government authorities have offered a compensation package.  

 

“Under this measure, more than 800 families will have no home nor farmland because the authorities don’t a have policy to relocate local community,” said Pirot.