Thai farmers escalate anti-government protest

BANGKOK, February 19 (TNA) - Thai farmers who have rallied at the Ministry of Commerce on the outskirts of Bangkok for three weeks have escalated their protest against delayed payment of the official rice-pledging scheme, by blocking commerce officials from entering their ministry and announcing to continue their rally until Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would resign to pave the way for a new government to solve problems relating to the rice-pledging scheme. Rawee Rungruang, Chairman of the Thai Farmers Network, told reporters on Wednesday that the protesting rice farmers are really in trouble and have nothing to do with any political group, saying that more rice growers were arriving at the Ministry of Commerce to join the rally. Meanwhile, the Lawyers Council of Thailand reported that it has received more than 10,000 complaints from rice farmers who have not got money from the rice-pledging scheme and it will soon file a lawsuit on behalf of the farmers with a court and, pending a ruling, it will seek an injunction to force the caretaker government to sell pledged rice right away to raise money to relieve farmers’ hardships. In a relating move, representatives of rice millers and part of farmers planned to discuss solutions for affected farmers at the Ministry of Commerce, as rice millers have recommended that a new fund be set up to help farmers, while farmers have proposed that a rice growers’ bank be established to help rice growers who have waited in vain for months for the government’s payment for their pledged rice.(TNA)