Barkar Nash (Page 572)

Almost 4,800 Myanmar nationals are taking shelter in border districts in Mae Hong Son as fighting between the military and ethnic groups continues, according to local officials.

Clashes are reported along the Thai-Myanmar border opposite tambon Sao Hin of Mae Sariang district and tambon Mae Ngao of Khun Yuam district. The number of people taking refuge in four shelters in the two districts stands at 4,798.

Humanitarian assistance is being provided to the refugees through local officials and the Thai Red Cross Society with food, with water and other essential supplies being donated by residents of Mae Hong Son.

Authorities said the latest batch of donations arrived on Monday and the supplies will be distributed to the refugees at the four shelters, adding there are adequate supplies of food, water and clothing.

Local offices of the Thai Red Cross Society in the two districts are also calling for donations which can be dropped at the offices of Mae Sariang and Khun Yuam district everyday.

Chartchai Noisakul, founder of Saphan Boon Khru Nueng charity group, said the group plans to deliver essential supplies to the shelters every week until the situation is resolved.

Meanwhile, the Thai-Myanmar border administration centre has dispatched teams to build and manage sanitation systems at the four shelters and deployed security teams at the shelter areas.

Soldiers from the 36th mobile development under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters have been assigned to dig wells and build garbage dump sites while volunteers from the non-government sector work on the water system.

Security checkpoints have also been set up and teams assigned to hold daily meetings to monitor and assess the situation.

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Thai Pakdee Party leader Warong Dechgitvigrom says he will accept the court’s scheduled decision in a 24 million baht defamation lawsuit brought against him by the Move Forward Party, even though he may end up being jailed or bankrupted.

On Sunday, Dr Warong posted on his Facebook page saying, “Move Forward Party’s Pita Limjaroenrat sued me for defamation, demanding 24 million baht compensation for the damage. The Criminal Court at Ratchada has set (June) 28, 9am, to deliver its judgement.”

Many people posted comments giving him their support.

On Monday, Dr Warong again posted, saying: “Thank you all for the moral support. If I were to be jailed or declared bankrupt because I have fought against insurrection and separatism, I would not say a word but would continue to fight. See you at the Criminal Court at Ratchada on (June) 28.”

On Feb 11, 2021, Nathawut Buaprathum, a deputy leader of the Move Forward Party and now a list MP, filed two lawsuits in the name of the party with the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek road. One lawsuit was against Dr Warong and the other against Nathaporn Toprayoon, a former adviser to the Ombudsman. The two were charged with defaming and making false accusations against the party in violation of Section 101 of the Political Party Act of 2017.

In the case against Dr Warong, the Thai Pakdee Party leader was accused of causing damage to the Move Forward Party during a media interview and in a posting on Facebook on Jan 20, 2021 and Feb 3, 2021.  The party demanded from him 24 million baht in compensation. The court was also asked to order Dr Warong to stop causing further damage.

The court set this Wednesday, June 28, at 9am, to pass judgement in Dr Warong’s case.

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Veteran politician Nipit Intarasombat has asked if the Move Forward Party really plans to change the date of National Day from Dec 5 to June 24 if it attains government.

Mr Nipit, 66, who represented the southern province of Phatthalung from 1992 to 2013, posed his question on Facebook on Sunday. He referred to a remark by MFP MP and spokesman Rangsiman Rome in a public discussion on June 24, the 91st anniversary of the Siamese revolution in 1932.

Mr Nipit wrote that Mr Rangsiman said during the discussion at Thammasat University’s Tha Phra Chan campus on Saturday that he expected a new parliament president with MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister and that June 24 would become the National Day.

Mr Nipit, a member of the Palang Pracharath Party which still leads the caretaker government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, said that he was saddened by the remark.

The National Day of Thailand was on Dec 5 and June 24, 1932, was the day when the king was deprived of absolute power and the system of government changed to being a democracy.

Dec 5 was the birthday of King Rama IX.

“Normally, countries with monarchs as their head of state set their national day on the birthday of their monarch,” Mr Nipit wrote. He pointed to the UK as following this practice.

The MFP usually referred to the UK, France and the United States as models of democracy, but the party surprisingly wanted to declare as National Day the day when the monarch was deprived of power, instead of the birthday of the monarch.

Mr Nipit said he disliked the MFP for failing to show due respect for the institution.

During Saturday’s discussion, Mr Rangsiman said the Future Forward Party had proposed to former parliament president Chuan Leekpai that June 24 become a national holiday, but the proposal was not realised.

MFP is the reincarnation of the disbanded Future Forward Party.(continues below)

Rangsiman Rome

Srettha Thavisin, a prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party, wrote on his Twitter account that whether June 24 became a holiday or not did not matter. What did matter was that the people must not accept a coup or a dictatorship.

Pheu Thai and MFP were to the two winning political parties at the general election and agreed to form the new coalition government with six other small parties.

Mongkolkit Susintharanong, former leader of the Thai Civilized Party, wrote on Facebook that he disagreed with the idea of changing National Day from Dec 5 to June 24.

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NAKHON SAWAN: A drinks waitress has complained that an elderly male customer slapped and kicked her and wrongly accused her of groping his groin in a local restaurant-bar.

Susita Rachakit, 20, filed her complaint with local police in Muang district. She said that a male customer hit her in the face while she was serving him beer, admitting that both of them were drunk.

The incident happened at a restaurant-bar early on Saturday morning. The woman said she worked as a beer waitress at several local eateries and the man was a familiar customer. 

The man had called her to his table and told her that he was ordering three bottles of beer as a favour to her.

She was serving his beer and talking to him. She said she had patted his belly in a friendly manner because he was a frequent customer. The man reacted by slapping her face and accusing her of groping his crotch.

Ms Susita denied his charge, and said that her mouth had bled after being hit.

Security camera footage showed the waitress moved away from the table and sat down nearby after being slapped. The man then walked over and kicked her to the floor, police said.

Police initially identified the man only as a 63-year-old retiree.

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NAKHON RATCHASIMA: About 150 farmers rallied at the Thao Suranari monument in Muang district on Monday demanding the closure of a potash mine they allege has discharged wastewater onto their land, reducing their harvests.

The farmers were from three tambons – Nong Bua Takiat, Nong Sai and Non Muang Pattana – in Dan Khun Thot district.

They said they had been affected by a potash mine operated under a 25-year (2015-2040) concession by  Thai Kali Co. The potash concession covers about 9,000 rai in the three tambons.

Wastewater had been discharged from the mining area into the natural water supply and onto farmland, making the soil salty and reducing harvests of rice and other crops, the farmers said.

The rally began at 9am, with the leaders taking turns speaking from a stage near the Thao Suranari monument, voicing their grievances.

The farmers planned to march to the city hall to submit a letter to provicial governor Sayam Sirimongkol demanding the closure of the potash mine. They said they would stay overnight in front of the city hall and continue to rally on Tuesday, waiting for the governor’s reply.

If there was no satisfactory response, they would proceed to Government House in Bangkok and file a complaint there.

Farmer Khanung Bangkhunthot, 62, of Sai Ngam village in tambon Nong Sai, said she had 23 rai of land – 10 rai used for sugarcane and 13 for rice. After the potash mine started operating, wastewater had been discharged into the natural waterways and onto farmland. The soil had become salty, causing yields to drop.

Last year, she had invested about 90,000 baht in growing her rice crop. It was 100% damaged, but she received only a small sum in compensation from the state.

She said the villagers had filed complaints with several government offices. Samples of soil were taken from the land. So far, no concrete measures had been taken to solve the problem.

A committee had been set up, comprising representatives of farmers and the company, to look into the matter, but nothing came of it, Mrs Khanung said.

The farmers wanted the potash mine shut down, as the most effective way to solve the problem, she said.

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SURAT THANI: The owner of a small villa built illegally on a beach on Koh Tao in Koh Phangan district has agreed to its demolition.

The single-storey stone-faced concrete building covers 48 square metres and encroaches on a beach on Koh Tao. and is privately owned by a resort company.

The villa was built on a rocks with direct access to the sea and belongs to Cape Shark Villas, a luxury resort with at least 30 pool villas on its hilltop property in the island’s south.

It became controversial after the provincial anti-corruption Facebook page “STRONG” posted pictures of it following public questions about its legality, since the entire of island is state property under the supervision of the Treasury Department.

On Sunday, officials led by Yuthapol Angkinan, an adviser to the minister of natural resources and environment, went to the island for an on-the-spot inspection.

Mr Yuthapol was accompanied by Chewapap Chewatham, chief inspector of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Apichai Ekwanakul, deputy director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Supachok Buathong, chief of the treasury office of Surat Thani, Vacharin Fasiriporn, the mayor of Tambon Koh Tao Municipality, and a representative of the resort company.

It was concluded that the company built the villa resort although it had not been allowed to rent the land from the Treasury Department; it was built without permission from Tambon Koh Tao Municipality; and, its construction on the beach could damage natural resources and the environment.

At a subsequent meeting, the company agreed to demolish the building in compliance with the law. 

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