Protesters led by the People’s Network for a Just Society (P-Move) have called off their prolonged demonstration in Bangkok and begun to return home on Thursday after the government agreed to step up efforts to address their problems as quickly as possible.
Prime Minister's Office Minister Anucha Nakasai met with the demonstrators outside Government House on Thursday and made a pledge to them that they will have a better quality of life.
The government provided buses to take them to Mo Chit Bus Terminal, Phetchaburi province and the southern region, ending a protracted protest that started on Jan 19.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed relevant agencies to set up an independent committee, chaired by Mr Anucha, to address the plight of Bang Kloi Karen villagers in the heart of Kaeng Krachan National Park.
On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon had approved an order to form a subcommittee to expedite efforts to solve the problems cited by P-Move. The committee would be chaired by Mr Anucha as have two deputy chairpersons: Seksakol Atthawong, a vice minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, and P-Move leader Chamnong Nuphan.
Among P-Move's demands are for the government to step up efforts to support community land ownership and community rights to manage local resources.
They want the government to grant amnesty to those involved in forest land encroachment cases and for authorities to address problems of the indigenous Karen people in Kaeng Krachan National Park. They also want the government to help those living on land owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
