Authority urges rubber farmers to stop illegal acts

BANGKOK, September 17 (TNA) - The governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the Thai South, where a group of rubber farmers has continued their rallying protest and blockage of a road, has called for the protesters to stop illegal acts. The governor, Wiroj Jiwarangsan, has, however, affirmed that no violent means will be resorted to disperse the protesters. A much smaller number of protesters were seen at the rallying site, the Kuan Nong Hong Intersection of Nakhon Si Thammarat's Cha-uat District, on Tuesday morning after a clash between some 200 protesters and local police on Monday afternoon, triggered by the demonstrators' throwing objects at the police, who responded by firing tear gas, causing minor injuries in both sides. The governor made the call after the protesting rubber farmers, who have rejected the government's offered assistance, moved a vehicle they burnt down on Monday and a large fallen tree to block the road on Tuesday morning. The governor later announced a 24-hour extension of the Disaster Prevention Act imposed on the rallying site, after its earlier enforcement expired at noon on September 17 and ordered intensified security measures at local government offices. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has confirmed that no violent forces will be used to end the ongoing protest of the southern rubber farmers, but calling for a peaceful dialogue between the government and the protesters, as most rubber farmers nationwide have already accepted the government's increased financial support, at 2,520 baht per rai of rubber plantation, and have earlier ended their protest. (TNA)