NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Residents in Wang Nam Khieo district of this Thai northeastern province have cried foul over the result of last week's online survey in which an overwhelming majority disagreed with allocating part of Thap Lan National Park for farming.
The survey conducted by the park concluded on Friday with 879,595 respondents — or 95% of those surveyed — disagreeing with altering the park’s boundary and setting aside forest land for farming. Another 43,303 residents, or 4.7%, were in favour.
The survey, which began June 28, was to gather opinions on whether part of a 260,000-rai area of the park that overlapped with local community zones should be allocated to residents for farming and living.
According to the survey, 96% of respondents were members of the general public, with the remainder being local residents around the national park area and those directly impacted by the demarcation of the park.
The Thai Samakkee Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO), led by its chair, Prakob Siriwongtaosaard, on Monday met locals in the park area to compile documents on the disputed land. The documents will be submitted to a House panel in charge of resolving the issue.
The documents are due to be presented tomorrow, and residents will be testifying before the panel, too.
Mr Prakob said the TAO also faces budget management difficulties as local development projects need to be proposed to the national parks committee for approval first.
But many projects are rejected, making land development in the area quite challenging. “We hope the House panel can help us,” said Mr Prakob.
Objectivity questioned
Meanwhile, Wang Nam Khieo conservationist, Boripat Sunthorn, said protecting the national park must go hand in hand with supporting local residents who occupied forest land before it was declared a national park.
He said it was a positive sign, judging from the survey, that public awareness of forest conservation is growing.
However, he questioned why the national park was authorised to organise the survey when it was a party in the dispute. Also, the information given to the public about the forest land row was inadequate, which saw a survey result that did not favour residents.
The survey, he added, should have been carried out by a government agency neutral on the matter.
He added that many residents being prosecuted for encroaching on forest land are members of the Mun River conservation group who had participated in reforestation, firefighting and wildlife monitoring activities in the park.
That said, Mr Boripat urged agencies to discuss the problem with residents who can help protect the forest.
Kittapat Chainok, a resident, said the survey result was unfair. The majority of respondents had nothing to do with the dispute and did not know enough to respond in an informed manner.