ID :
318437
Fri, 02/21/2014 - 12:34
Auther :

Thailand's caretaker government pressured by farmers

BANGKOK, February 21 (TNA) - Thai farmers who have long waited for payment of their pledged rice have intensified their pressure on the caretaker government. At least two groups of rice farmers are escalating their pressure, one group was forcing officials of the Ministry of Commerce to stop working on Friday morning and the other was traveling in a caravan of farm tractors from provincial areas aimed to then rally at Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Rawee Rungruang, Chairman of the Thai Farmers Network, led his group of rice growers from the Ministry of Commerce in Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi Province to block the ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok after learning that commerce officials had moved to temporarily work there. The group planned to then file their request for the ombudsman to investigate corruption in the government's rice-pledging scheme and to check its stocks of pledged rice amid reports that pledged rice has gone missing in many areas. Rawee told reporters, however, that his group would not join the other group of rice growers, headed by former Chartthaipattana Party MP Chada Thaiset, who were traveling from central provinces to Bangkok as they have different demands. Ravee said his group of farmers adheres to its old demand for Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cabinet to resign to pave the way for a new government to solve rice growers' problems. Meanwhile, the other group of rice growers from central provinces have now postponed their plan to rally at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, when they reached Ayutthaya Province on Friday morning, as they agreed with caretaker government's promise to pay for their pledged rice next week.(TNA)

X