Farmers demand fair distribution of land, as Srettha begins Chiang Mai trip
A small group of protesters greeted Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin as he began his tour in the northern city of Chiang Mai on Saturday.
His motorcade drove past some 20 local residents and ethnic villagers from the Northern Peasant Federation. They were holding up placards calling for a government policy that ensures fair distribution of land among poor farmers and villagers.
“Stop stealing land from the poor for rich capitalists”, “Do the poor have any right?”, and “Redistribute power, redistribute land, redistribute assets” read some of the placards.
The PM’s working team later accepted an open letter from the demonstrators.
The motorcade was leaving the Mae Kuang Dam in Doi Saket district, where Srettha and accompanying members of his Cabinet inspected the construction of a water tunnel.
At the dam, the prime minister stopped to chat with a group of fishermen who were gathering their catch of the day from the dam’s reservoir.
Srettha was in Chiang Mai on Saturday as part of his three-day working visit to the North that also included Chiang Rai. He is scheduled to return to Bangkok on Sunday.
Also on Saturday’s agenda is a visit to the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre in Doi Saket. The project, initiated by King Rama IX the Great, studies models for area and vocational development.
In the afternoon, they are scheduled to meet local business operators to discuss their problems and how to encourage young entrepreneurs to start new businesses. The discussions at Chiang Mai University are expected to cover the economy, tourism, transportation, and social and environmental issues.
On Sunday, Srettha is scheduled to meet with executives of Chiang Mai International Airport to discuss adding more flights after midnight to cope with the increasing tourist arrivals. He will also meet local residents who will be affected by late-night flights to and from Chiang Mai airport.
