Ministry promises talks with angry farmers (Updated)

10 กุมภาพันธ์ 2557

Tired of talking with government officials who have no decision-making power, unpaid farmers want to talk to the bosses. They may get their chance today.

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Protesting farmers may get their chance to talk to government ministers today, but it is not clear if one of them will be the prime minister. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL

Updates

15:20

A rice farmer outside the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence shows her unpaid rice pledging agreement with the government. CHANAT KATANYU

A short while ago, a large group of farmers went from the Justice Ministry to the temporary cabinet headquarters at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence. A number of their leaders were invited in to meet with Caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, his deputy Nattawut Saikua and Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Varathep Rattanakorn.

The meeting ended abruptly when the farmers, dissatisfied with what they said was "nothing new", walked out. Some said they were particularly unhappy when the government representatives suggested negotiations for bank loans were being complicated by the political protests. The farmers were angered when it was suggested that they, too, talk with the banks. That, they said, was the government's responsibility. The farmers were also said to be unhappy when Mr Varathep said it was not possible to say when the farmers would be paid. If that was the case, they should resign, one of the farm leaders reportedly said.

The farmers have now gone back to the Ministry of Commerce where they have been staying and are reportedly going to discuss ways of increasing the pressure on the government.

13:00

This group of farmers, many from Pichit, has now reached the Justice Ministry. TAWATCHAI KhEMGUMNERD

A large group of protesting farmers were moving from in front of the Commerce Ministry at Sanambin Nam in Nonthaburi to the Justice Ministry at the government offices complex on Chaeng Wattana road, reports said.

At the Justice Ministry, the farmers would submit a petition against the government for its failure to pay for rice they pledged under a government programme.

They would then proceed to the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence which the cabinet has used as a temporary office to demand that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her ministers accept responsibility.

Suthep Thuagsuban leads a march collecting donations to support legal efforts of rice farmers to sue government leaders. PAWAT LAOPAISARNTAKSIN

Meanwhile, a large number of People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC)'s protesters led by Suthep Thaugsuban has left BTS skytrain station at Ekamai on a march to raise cash to help farmers fund their legal efforts against the government.

They have now marched down Ekamai to Phetchaburi Road and have entered Thong Lor. From there, they will go back to Sukhumvit and then return to the Asok intersection.

A similar march on Friday in the Silom area was reported to have raised 9.2 million baht to help the farmers.

Ministry to host talks with protesting farmers

Manop Thip-Osod

Caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan plans to hold talks with protesting farmers at the ministry today to address grievances caused by delays in payments for pledged rice.

The farmers, who have been rallying at the Commerce Ministry since Thursday, plan to move their protest to the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence today.

Mr Boonsong said he was contacting the farmers for talks and was ready to negotiate with them at the Commerce Ministry.

Prasit Boonchuey, president of the Thai Farmers Association, said earlier that the group will rally at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence, where the cabinet members temporarily work, to demand the government pays up.

In some good news for the government, National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabut said today's gathering of the farmers would only be a symbolic demonstration and they will not stay long there.

He said the farmers have come to Bangkok only to call for money owed to them under the rice pledging scheme.

They do not have a political agenda like the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters.

Rawee Rungruang, leader of a network of rice farmers from western provinces, affirmed their rallies are not political and the farmers only want the government to pay them for the rice.

According to Mr Rawee, their past petitions with provincial governors concerning the delayed payments have yielded no result as local authorities do not have the power to handle the issue. Only the government could help.

"We want to talk with people in the government because they have power in making decisions, and that is why we came to the Commerce Ministry," said Mr Rawee. He added his group has raised 800,000 baht to take care of farmers suffering due to delayed payments. The amount does not include the fund from the PDRC.

Wallop Pitchyapongsa, vice president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the rice pledging scheme has caused the government to hold a large amount of rice in its stockpile.

They cannot hold the rice stock forever due to a lack of financial support, he said. "The government must release the rice stockpile to get money to pay farmers, but it may have to take some time to do so," Mr Wallop said.