Court tells Isan villagers accused of trespassing to relocate for special economic zones

A provincial court in Isan, Thailand’s Northeast, told villagers in a disputed area to leave their homes to make ways for the construction of Special Economic Zone (SEZs).

According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the provincial court of the Isan province of Nakhon Phanom on 24 August 2015 during the preliminary hearing told 33 villagers accused of encroaching into public land plots called ‘Kok Phu Kratae’ in Aaj Samat sub-district, Muang District, of province to relocate.

At the court, some of the embattled villagers were waiting for the provincial administrators, the plaintiff, to negotiate and reconcile. However, the administrators contacted the court staffs during the hearing that they would not come to the court and would not reconcile with the villagers.

On 28 April 2015, the cabinet under Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, issued an announcement No. 2/2015 to make 13 sub-districts of Nakhon Phanom province one of which is Aaj Samat sub-district into Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The plan is parts of the initiatives to boost the nation’s economy. Large areas in five other provinces along Thailand’s border are to be established as SEZs.

The junta enacted Article 44 of the Interim Charter, which gives the regime absolute power for maintaining national security and handling other affairs, in announcing the SEZs initiative earlier this year.

The disputed land called ‘Kok Phu Kratae’ in Aaj Samat sub-district, Muang District, of Nakhon Phanom, which is to be reclaimed as parts of the Special Economic Zones

To comply with the government’s initiative, the provincial administration’s land committee issued an order to reclaim Kok Phu Kratae. However, the plan means that about 300 families have to be evicted from the area.

The provincial administrators offered compensation packages to the villagers, but most of them do not want to relocate, saying most of the households have been settled in the area for over 70 years and some are also holding Land Utilisation Certificates (NS3K Document). Only 10 villagers so far have signed the agreements to accept the compensation and move.  

TLHR reported that in July 2014 the military officers from Internal Security Operations Commands (ISOC) of the province came to informed the villagers that they had to relocate within 30 days.

The officers went into the houses of 14 villagers and brought them to the police stations where they were convinced by the authorities to sign the relocation agreement. The negotiation took about five hours, but none of the 14 signed the agreements. They were later charged for encroaching into public land plots, TLHR added.

Shortly after, 20 other villagers were summoned to the police station and charged under the same offense. There are about 300 more who are to be charged with land encroachment.

Similarly, in early July 2015, the villagers in Mae Sot District in the northern province of Tak who are to be evicted from the areas, which have now been declared as SEZs, protested the SEZs initiative. However, the Tak province administrators only referred to the junta’s announcement, saying the plan has to be carried out in accordance to the government’s policy.  

Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court has scheduled the first trial on the case on 2 November 2015.   

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