Thread: Rice farmers to protest against government

Odear Albert you don't read post do you, go back & look the farmers have no work at this time of the year & they are get money in Bangkok
its not that hard to work out.

post 133 these protester raiesed 10 Million baht to pay the farms while the stay in Bankok.

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

the farmers have no work at this time of the year

and there we have it in a nutshell. No such thing as 'no work to be done'. Yes their fields may not be ready, but that is no reason to sit around on your arse all day. There is always paid work available in all areas in Thailand. Many factories are crying out for staff as unemployment is virtually zero.

If they want to boost their wages, stop taking 2-4 months of each year off, drinking lao khao etc and get a job to fill in that time.

But no, they expect us taxpayers (who do work year around) to top up their beer fund for them.

Originally Posted by hillbilly

And here we are today.
5. The present government has now run out of money.
6. Farmers are screwed...

Wrong - the present government hasn't run out of money, but the Opposition-Sakdina-Amart-run authorities can and have shut down every avenue that government has tried to use to pay the farmers. This was PLANNED by these yellow groups. The farmers know who is screwing them - and it ain't Yingluck or PTP. These guys protesting are not the real farmers. Just wait, they'll be along soon - and they'll be visiting the people who have really cause them such grief. Funny thing is the sakdina and their upperclass street soldiers have no idea what's about to hit them. They think the royal thai army will protect them. Au contraire.

Nice to see the farmers doing this, finally. But I think it better to file suit first then negotiate,…don’t try to negotiate then file suit.

World Bank says pledging scheme poorly implemented, tainted by corruption

Rice farmers will soon take the Yingluck Shinawatra government to court to seek compensation for their overdue payments under the rice-pledging scheme, in what could be the first case in Thai history of the government being sued by farmers.

Several ministers involved in the populist policy are also facing demands to give farmers, who have not been paid what they were owed, a hand with financial aid to ease their plight.

Now there are some 1.2 million farmers who have not yet been paid their money due under the rice-pledging scheme.

The World Bank said the rice subsidy scheme was a good idea to help stabilise farmers' income, but added that it had been badly implemented and that corruption was another big problem.

The farmers' legal petition would be managed and supported by the Lawyers Council of Thailand under Royal Patronage. It would be first a civil claim, but if corruption was found, it could become a criminal case.

Snip

The council is considering whether to also charge caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck and ministers involved in the rice-pledging project.

Besides damages, statutory interest at 7.5 per cent will be sought.

Snip

Some warehouse owners have suffered because the government has not paid them rent since 2012.
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A Thai farmers poll,….

Plurality of farmers say rice scheme should be scrapped

Corruption is a major cause cited by farmers when asked what they think has left the government unable to pay for their pledged rice, according to a poll conducted by the National Institution of Development Administration (Nida).

Nida Poll interviewed 1,250 rice farmers of various levels of education in all regions on Feb 10-11, during the ongoing protests by growers demanding the government pay for rice harvests they delivered and pledged months ago.

Asked what they think has caused the government to be unable to pay the debt, 31.13% of the respondents pointed to corruption in the rice-pledging process; 18.42% to the government's losses incurred from the rice trade; 18.42% to the government's inability to sell the rice, causing lack of liquidity; 15.03% blamed it on the government being in a caretaking position, making it unable to acquire loans from financial institutions; 12.89% pointed to other causes including the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protests; and 4.16% has no comment.

To the question who should be held responsible, 35.92% of the respondents pointed to the prime minister, 32.33% to the cabinet, 16.58% to the commerce minister, 9.85% to the PDRC, and 3.50% to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), while the rest had no comment.

Asked what they think the government should do, 36.72% said it should quickly sell off the pledged rice, 28.88% suggested it seek loans to get money to pay the farmers, 22.64% said it should resign to allow a new administration to solve the problem, 3.60% suggested it return the pledged rice to the farmers, 4.08% said it should solve the problem of protesters obstructing its work, and 4.08% gave no comment.

When asked to comment on the rice-pledging scheme, 43.04% said it should be scrapped, 34.40% said it should continue but the price of pledged rice should be in line with the world market prices, 18.24% said it should continue as it is now, 1.12% said it should continue but in the form of price insurance, and 3.20% had no comment.
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This could interesting

NACC to charge PM over rice

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is expected to bring formal charges against caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for her role in the rice-pledging scheme later this month. NACC deputy secretary-general Witthaya Akhompitak said on Tuesday that an inquiry panel is expected to conclude the case and bring charges against the premier. An NACC inquiry panel is currently obtaining more evidence to substantiate its case, he said.

Mr Witthaya said the NACC will also question unpaid rice farmers who have asked them to investigate the prime minister and the government.

He said if the panel finds there is enough evidence, Ms Yingluck would face charges of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code for dereliction of duty. If she is charged, the premier will be given an opportunity to defend herself before the panel forwards the case to the main NACC panel, who would then decide whether to indict her.

If the main NACC panel decides to indict her and take the case to court, she would be required to step down from all official roles.

there’s more in the link

_________

Suicide watch

Mrs. Boonma (yesterdays victim) was said to be the eight farmer to commit suicide from the failed rice-pledging scheme of the government which could not pay farmers on schedule, this prompting many of them to resort to loan sharks which fixed at least 10% lending rate per month.

So far seven farmers in Ratchaburi, Phichit, Roi Et, Si Sa Khet, Sukhothai, and Buriram have committed suicide from severe depression after rice payments were not paid.

Some victims had bought pickup truck, farm tractor and fertilizers to do farming. But after payment was defaulted, they could not pay car companies for the farm tractors, trucks which they bought on hire-purchase. Some firms even threatened to seize their vehicles, thus putting them in extreme distress and decided to end their lives.

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

What a pile of shlt these poeple.
Watch your self HB if you here a bang, duck your head.
So 50,000 people 555 555 how Stupid are they.

This stupid,

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Announcing the tough move by farmers, Thai Rice Association president Prasit Boonchoey

Prasit declared on the protest stage of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) at Pathumwan last night that he and other farmer leaders from the western, lower northern, and upper central regions have met yesterday and all agreed to escalate their protest

It's nothing to do with farmers, it's just Suthep's PDRC mob jumping on to another band-wagon. Joining up with people they've labelled uneducated buffalo who are unworthy of the vote, the hypocrisy is breath-taking. It's just a con. Their previous protests have failed miserably and they've alienated both Thai and world public opinion, now they're frantically looking for other issues to push. Hypocrites and opportunists.