Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow on Tuesday agreed to ask the prosecution to delay legal proceedings against 28 villagers living in Kaeng Krachan National Park.
Speaking after accepting a petition from the Save Bang Kloi Coalition, Capt Thamanat said he would send a formal request to public prosecutors in charge of the case to consider delaying the proceedings.
The Save Bang Kloi Coalition called on the government to postpone the case against 28 villagers who face charges under the forestry and forest reserve laws, which was due to be taken to court on Friday.
The group also called on sub-committees appointed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to resolve the disputes involving the forest dwellers to speed up their work.
Capt Thamanat promised to liaise with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa in resolving land conflicts.
Early this year, the Bang Kloi villagers staged a protest near Government House after they were prohibited from entering Jai Paen Din, a forest deep in the national park.
The villagers argued they had lived there for generations until being evicted by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plantation (DNP) more than a decade ago.
The eviction came after the DNP, which is under the Ministry of Environment, declared the area the Karen villagers were living in a national park two decades ago.
Scores of villagers face prosecution after returning early this year and have asked the government to resolve the land conflicts.