Rubber planters on rampage

Hundreds of angry rubber planters torched buildings and cars at a national park in this southern province on Thursday night, causing about 10 million baht's worth of damage.

The blaze took place at about 8 p.m. at the Thalae Bun National Park in Satun's Khuan Don district, when an estimated 300 planters stormed into the national park.

A sentry box, living quarters, a warehouse, three cars and seven motorcycles were completely burned down. Nine other living quarters and a car were partly destroyed, said a park official.

The arson occurred after national park authorities refused to allow planters from Tambon Wang Prachan in Khuan Don to fell rubber trees in the park area.

These farmers had been granted loans from the Office of the Rubber Replanting Aid Fund to cut old rubber trees and replant new ones.

As the talks failed, about 300 farmers who had gathered at the national park since Thursday morning resorted to violence.

The protest was reportedly led by Satun provincial councillor Son Patuka.

The incident was reported to Deputy Governor Veera Lamyaithong, who called an urgent meeting with park officials and the protesting group. Police have been deployed to ensure peace and order at the scene.

The protesters agreed to disperse at about 3 a.m. after the deputy governor promised to address their grievances. Police had yet to press charges against the arsonists.

Thalae Bun National Park assistant chief Charan Chunnarong said the arson has scared several park officials who yesterday decided to take leave for fear that their lives might be in danger.

Thavorn Lamseejan, director of the Natural Resource Conservation Office, said the department had asked the governor of Satun to send border police troops to safeguard the park.

He said the cabinet resolution of April 22 which allows forest encroachers to stay put in the protected areas throughout the country is likely to motivate rubber planters to move into the park.

According to the cabinet resolution, the encroachers would obtain proper land documents after officials have proved that they occupied the areas before the department. But in practice, he said, it was difficult to prove who come first, causing widespread encroachment.

"I think the cabinet resolution should be reviewed," said Mr Thavorn, adding that the use of force in pushing the encroachers away from the protected area would be necessary.

But deputy governor Veera disagreed, saying using force in tackling the problem would cause the protest to intensify. He said the province had no room for the victims who would be evicted from the park.