Many high-level officials at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and former Royal Forest Department (RFD) chiefs are recommending that RFD take immediate legal action against Palang Pracharath Party MP Pareena Kraikupt for forest encroachment, an informed source said on Tuesday.
The officials and former RFD director-generals are also advising officials handling Ms Pareena's case to write a formal notice to the current RFD chief and the natural resources and environment minister explaining that the 682-rai owned by the MP is clearly encroaching forest land, the source added.
Also, the fact that Ms Pareena is paying local maintenance taxes for this land can be used to prove she is occupying forested land, the source said. If concerned officials fail to do this part of their duty, they will likely end up facing dereliction of duty charges, the source added.
Separately, Atchariya Ruangrattanaphong, chairman of the Help Crime Victims Club, led 19 villagers facing legal action for alleged encroachment to the RFD office yesterday. He said the rally was to demand justice and equality, adding that their cases should be no different from that of Ms Pareena.
Chirasak Chukhwamdi, RFD's deputy-director, said his department will look into the 19 villagers' cases to see if their persecution is unjustified as claimed by Mr Atchariya.
As for Ms Pareena's case, he said, the department had taken legal steps against her for owning some 46 rai under its jurisdiction, adding that the remaining 682 rai comes under the Agricultural Land Reform Office’s (Alro) jurisdiction.
Chumphot Choptham, director of the RFD’s legal office, said the agency asked the Council of State on Monday to rule on whether Alro should take action against Ms Pareena.
The department still is waiting for a response.