PUBLISHED: 6 Aug 2024 at 10: 03
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation ( DNP ) has expressed its opposition to two bills that aim to end indigenous peoples ‘ access to their land. They claim that they will undermine their ability to protect the country’s forests.
The proposals by the civil rights organization P-Move and the Ministry of Culture, according to DNP key Attapol Charoenshunsa, will effectively hand over protected area to “forest encroachers and capitalists” if passed.
Before mentioning P-Move’s act, which seeks amnesty for those who were found guilty of invasion under the Forest Law, National Park Law, Preserved Forest Law, Wildlife Protection and Preservation Law, and Environment Promotion Law, he said,” The payments will also encourage deeper incursion into protected forest areas.”
In the event that the bill is passed, those who were found to have encroached on secured forests will be able to live there until the courts can establish whether they actually have a legal right to remain.
According to the DNP, between 2015-2024 there were 13, 760 instances of forest invasion involving 2, 718 criminals worldwide, with the encroached places totalling 180, 002.71 ray.
The office noted 1, 140 jungle using cases and 9, 713 illegal checking cases within the same time.
However, the costs drafted by the Ministry of Culture, which was designed to protect and promote ethnic minorities ‘ way of life, specifies that the world’s hill tribes ‘ standard heritage, including their religious sites, may be protected.
Members of the community will collaborate with authorities to identify sacred sites and historically significant areas that would be exempt from laws intended to protect the world’s forests if the bill is passed.
A resource from the DNP said that if approved, the costs may destroy the district’s forest conservation and protection efforts.
According to the source, the bill would grant racial committees the final say in choosing which region of the nation to designate as a divine site, perhaps a protected forest reserve.
This must be properly scrutinised, as laws on forest preservation, dog looking, and burning may not use in areas designated spiritual sites, the source said.
The two bills effectively reduce forest conservationists ‘ ability to defend the rights of the general public, who are the ultimate owners, according to the source.
According to the source, the current national park law was intended to promote harmony in living conditions. As a result, it has allowed people to coexist in protected forest areas.