Thai rubber farmers wait for official assistance

BANGKOK, September 3 (TNA) - Protesting rubber farmers have not yet moved to Bangkok, as they are waiting for official assistance, expected to be announced after the Cabinet's weekly meeting later on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanatabutr, Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC), told journalists of the development before the Cabinet meeting. Lieutenant General Paradorn acknowledged that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Yukol Limlaemthong will then discuss the official assistance with representatives of the rubber farmers on September 4. The NSC chief assessed that Wednesday's negotiations between the government authorities and leaders of the protesting rubber farmers should reach a satisfactory conclusion although leaders of southern rubber farmers said they would not join the talks. Meanwhile, Adul Khotephan, President of a network of rubber farmers in Ubon Ratchathani Province in the Thai Northeast, told reporters that rubber farmers in his province had not staged any rally while waiting for a government response to their demand for a subsidy for rubber tree cultivation up to 25 rai, instead of 10 rai, of rubber plantations of each farmer. The Thai government earlier set the official subsidy at 1,260 baht per rai. But in Rayong province in the Thai East, rubber farmers from eight districts rallied in front of the Provincial Hall and blocked inbound lanes, while their leaders announced that they are waiting for a government response for three days. (TNA)