Phuket villagers march to demand land rights

Phuket villagers march to demand land rights

Communities are 'too close' to urban areas

About 200 villagers of the Phuket Community Network picket outside the provincial office on Monday, calling for the distribution of land rights to 23 local communities. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)
About 200 villagers of the Phuket Community Network picket outside the provincial office on Monday, calling for the distribution of land rights to 23 local communities. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)

Around 200 villagers in Phuket rallied Monday at the provincial office, calling for the distribution of land rights to 23 local communities on the island province.

Members of the Phuket Community Network gathered at the Sanamchai public recreation area in Muang district at 10am and later walked to the provincial office together.

Somchai Rithichai, the network's coordinator, said a proposal was earlier taken to the National Land Policy Committee that six communities in Phuket should be entitled to community land rights. They are the Tha Sak, Koh Phi, Ao Yon, Bang Rak Mai, Hon Saithong and Thanit Thurakijruamsin communities.

The committee and various agencies in Phuket then conducted a survey of the six communities, he said.

The results, however, showed these communities fell short of the criteria for distribution of community land because they are so close to urban areas, where wealthy people could later capitalise on them.

According to Mr Somchai, who disagrees with that conclusion, the group decided to submit the petition to the provincial governor Monday, asking him to help the network solve the issue. He insisted the communities are ready to comply with conditions stipulated under the community land title deeds.

If the problem cannot be settled in the provincial levels, the group would take the issue to the central authorities, he noted.

Speaking after talks with representatives from the 23 communities, Phuket governor Norapat Plodthong said Phuket authorities earlier proposed six communities receive the community land right title deeds.

But the proposal was overturned as the communities did not fit the criteria set out by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment since they are city communities. Some of the land have been used for commercial purposes and have been encroached upon.

The allocation of the land for the poor is supervised by various central authorities at the policy level. Provincial governors chair panels on the issues in local areas.

"The province would seek a change here, and ask to collect the information again since each community is different," said the governor, adding efforts should be made to tackle the land right problems in all 23 communities in the province.

After all information is collected, a provincial committee would convene with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment -- the agency supervising policy on the issue, he said, adding around 50% of the information has been gathered.

He said that from now on, local and central authorities would work together closely on the issue.

This was one outcome reached at the meeting, adding the community representatives agreed with this.

The move to grant community land title deeds follows the government's efforts to tackle the land rights problems among the local villagers in the 2017.

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