Politicians linked to forest encroachment

For all topics related to understanding and protecting our environment, not limited to Korat, Thailand. Alternative farming, protected plants etc.
newsclip
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon newsclip » So Jul 15, 2007 9:12 pm

Politicians linked to forest encroachment

By Theerawat Khamthita

Police are digging deep for clues in its efforts to implicate local politicians and a Chinese businessman in an alleged forest encroachment case in Chiang Saen district. The effort will focus on a 53-year-old Chinese trader named Yian Ping who allegedly used his political connections to get a Thai ID card, under the name of Chanchai Ruayrungrueng, which was then used to buy land in tambon Ban Saew, where the encroachment took place, a source said.

The investigation also led to a joint police-forestry raid in the Sopkok forest reserve near Ban Huay Koyroy village early this week.

The raid team found that 918 rai of forest was encroached and seized 13 trailer-trucks, processed logs, and tree-cutting equipment.

Some of the arrested workers confessed to police they were hired to clear and plough the forest area, but did not name the person who was paying them for the job.

A forestry official said a well-known politician had ordered local leaders to cut down trees in the reserves. The forest land was being cleared for the planting of rubber trees which were in great demand in China, said a security source.

Mr Yian Ping, who was reportedly made chairman of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party's branch in China, became a suspect after his Thai name disappeared from the Interior Ministry's database.

Bangkok Post July 15, 2007

Homer (?2011)
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon Homer (?2011) » So Jul 15, 2007 10:12 pm

Thai Rak Thai party's branch in China

What are the Thai Rak Thai party doing in China? :roll: :shock:

Isaan Rollie
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon Isaan Rollie » Mo Jul 16, 2007 5:36 pm

Homer hat geschrieben:
Thai Rak Thai party's branch in China

What are the Thai Rak Thai party doing in China? :roll: :shock:


Running the "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale" for their boss Toxin. He seems to be in need of money. :mrgreen:

saan1973
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon saan1973 » Mo Jul 16, 2007 6:58 pm

Yeah, he wanted to buy a premier legue team, wasn´t he? So he needs some more money...

newsclip
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon newsclip » Mi Aug 01, 2007 9:52 am

Army to crack down on forest encroachment

SUBIN KHUENKAEW and THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA

Chiang Rai - The Third Army has announced a crackdown on burgeoning illegal deforestation activities in northern forests.

Third Army commander Lt-Gen Jiradet Khotcharat said he is determined to take action against local influential figures behind the forest encroachment. Buildings would also be cleared and equipment seized.

He referred in particular to areas in the Sopkok forest reserve in Chiang Saen district. The abused area would be restored under royally-initiated projects on forest management for sustainable development.

Lt-Gen Jiradet said the operation would not affect local people who have occupied the area for a long time. Instead, they were being encouraged to make appropriate use of forest land, abandoning the slash-and-burn agriculture of their forebears.

Statistics released by the Forest Department Department show the total area under forest in17 northern provinces had decreased from 56.75% in 2000 to 54.3% in 2004 and is now below 50% of original forest land.

Lt-Gen Jiradet is to inspect 918 rai of encroached land in Sopkok forest reserve in Chiang Saen district tomorrow.

Witoon Rermvirat, chief of the 15th forestry office, said the areas will be reforested with valuable trees such as teak and Malabar ironwood under the supervision of the Forestry Department.

A highly-placed source blamed businessmen from the South for the forest clearing, saying they wanted to use the area for palm and rubber plantations.

A close aide to a former MP in the Chiang Saen-Mae Sai area had a hand in the land encroachment and had sold the land to southern businessmen, the source said.

Bangkok Post July 31, 2007

newsclip
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon newsclip » Sa Aug 04, 2007 9:47 pm

THE NORTH FOREST DESTRUCTION

Encroachers seize over 10,000 rai

SUBIN KHEUNKAEW THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA

Chiang Rai _ More than 10,000 rai of forest reserve land has been encroached on in six northern provinces, according to Third Army commander Jiradet Khotcharat. The Third Army recently called a meeting of the governors of six northern provinces _ Chiang Rai, Nan, Phetchabun, Phayao, Phitsanulok and Lampang _ where extensive forest encroachment had been discovered.

According to Lt-Gen Jiradet, farmers who encroached on forest reserves in the past wanted to use the land to grow corn. They also used the shifting cultivation technique which explained the rampant encroachment over wide areas.

However, over the past five years, encroachers have not been local farmers, but rather agro-business operators who purchased small land plots adjacent to forests from local farmers.

The businessmen grew para rubber saplings on the land they bought before expanding their rubber plantations into nearby forest reserves.

The army conducted a survey to establish the extent of the encroachment and found the six provinces have lost more than 10,000 rai of land combined to the illegal activity.

The survey was prompted by the discovery of 900 rai of encroached forest in Chiang Rai where the army has moved in heavy machinery to clear away encroachment sites in the forests.

Lt-Gen Jiradet said statistics from the Forest Department showed forest areas in the North have been dwindling at an alarming rate. In 2000, the areas covered 96,270 square kilometres. That number had fallen to 92,068 sq km three years ago. Among the six provinces, the problem of forest encroachment is most serious in Chiang Rai, Lampang and Nan, he said.

In a recent operation against forest encroachers, authorities seized 13 vehicles used to clear the encroached land in Sopkok forest in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district.

The encroachment in Sopkok forest covered 918 rai of land, causing damage to the state of about 62 million baht.

Chiang Saen police said owners of the 13 machines used to clear forest land in the Sopkok reserve have turned themselves in and have been questioned by the authorities although details of the probe were not available.

Bangkok ost Aug. 4, 2007

newsclip
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon newsclip » Fr Jan 18, 2008 9:59 am

FOREST ENCROACHMENT / SOB KOK RESERVE

DSI arrests rubber firm exec

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has arrested an executive of Thai Rubber City Co, a latex trader, for allegedly encroaching on Sob Kok forest reserve in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district.

Pinyo Thongchai, deputy DSI director-general, said Thai Rubber City encroached on almost 919 rai of land in the forest reserve, causing damage to the state worth more than 62 million baht.

Police have identified seven suspects who they say encroached on more than 10,000 rai of land in the forest reserve to grow para rubber trees. Thai Rubber City's general manager Sompong Srisupotjanangkoon, 50, is one of them.

The other six suspects still at large are company employees, land brokers, and owners of the backhoes used to clear forest land in the reserve.

Mr Pinyo said Mr Sompong denied the forest encroachment charge but admitted the firm had planted rubber trees in the area.

Mr Pinyo said the DSI took over the case from local police on Oct 3 last year after receiving a complaint from a former Chiang Rai governor that a group of influential people had tried to hamper the work of local investigators.

Piyawat Kingkate, chief of the DSI special crime division, said a group of influential figures was behind the encroachment on some 10,000 rai of land in the forest reserve.

After the DSI took over the case, an assistant chief of Chiang Saen district, Wandee Inthorn, a key witness, was transferred to Wiang Chai district. She also received a phone call threatening her life, Col Piyawat said.

Col Piyawat said the DSI had asked for a list of Thai Rubber City's shareholders from the Department of Commercial Registration to see if any of them were foreigners.

Former Chiang Rai governor Amornphan Nimanan, in his complaint lodged with the DSI, said a group of encroachers backed by foreign investors bought land from residents who had illegally occupied land in the reserve. After that, they hired backhoes to fell trees and clear forest areas before growing rubber trees.

Bangkok Post Jan. 18, 2008

Benutzeravatar
KoratCat
Thailand-Forum-Administrator
Beiträge: 7869
Registriert: Sa Jul 22, 2006 11:00 am
Wohnort: Non Sung/Korat (Frankfurt/M)
Kontaktdaten:

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Mo Mär 10, 2008 9:52 am

Forest encroachment case on hold

Questionable transfers at DSI let some high-profile suspects off the hook


By Theerawat Khamthita

The Sob Kok forest encroachment case may suffer an indefinite delay in being presented to the prosecution following the mass transfer of investigators from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) recently, said a senior department source. The high-profile case is likely to hit a stalemate after Sunai Manomai-udom was transferred as chief of the DSI on Feb 22 to serve as acting secretary-general of the newly-established Office for the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption in the State Sector. Last week 31 other DSI officials, including some key investigators dealing with the Sob Kok case, were also shifted to the new office. Pol Col Piyawat Kingket, the chief investigator, has also been removed as DSI spokesman, raising concern among the remaining Sob Kok investigators they could also be on the way out.

The source said the transfers had dealt a serious blow to the probe which was making headway into the encroachment of the 916-rai Sob Kok forest reserve in Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai.

The source said the way things are going at the moment, it would be difficult to conclude the case and an indefinite delay in its submission to the prosecutors was highly likely.

The source explained that the investigation now should have proceeded to the point where more suspects should have been arrested and the case rounded off at the end of last month. But Mr Sunai's abrupt transfer slowed the progress of the investigation, which eventually ground to a halt with the transfer of the other 31 officials. The source said officials close to the government had replaced the probe team.

The source claimed that officials loyal to the past government had a hand in the encroachment and these same people are now being allowed to serve as members of the probe team. This explains how some prime suspects have managed to elude arrest.

In a related development, a man was caught clearing land in a forest reserve in Muang district of Chiang Rai.

Somsak Yeepinyo, 46, was arrested following a raid conducted by a 50-strong combined force in the Mae Kok forest in Ban Pa Lan. A tractor was also impounded. Thanongsak Thammano, head of the forest protection unit, said about one rai of fertile forest was damaged.

Bangkok Post Mar 9, 2008

Any guesses what will happen to the Thaksin corruption and tax evasion cases :?:
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

Benutzeravatar
KoratCat
Thailand-Forum-Administrator
Beiträge: 7869
Registriert: Sa Jul 22, 2006 11:00 am
Wohnort: Non Sung/Korat (Frankfurt/M)
Kontaktdaten:

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Fr Mär 21, 2008 11:06 am

Inquiry ordered into encroachment linked to former officers

POST REPORTERS

An inquiry has been ordered into the encroachment of a forest reserve in Nakhon Ratchasima allegedly involving two former senior police officers. Provincial governor Suthee Makboon yesterday ordered an investigation into the encroachment of over 1,000 rai of a forest reserve in Pak Chong district.

Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung earlier instructed the governor to take legal action against two former high-ranking police officers alleged to be behind the encroachment.

The former officers had allegedly acquired the forest land through nominees.

Mr Suthee said he expected the inquiry to be wrapped up in a week.

A source said the illegal occupation covered more than 1,000 rai of land in the Dong Phayayen forest reserve. The area was degraded forest land being rehabilitated for poor farmers.

A similar case of trespassing on forest land was also found in Phetchabun, prompting an investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and forestry officials.

Sansern Palwatwichai, who is in charge of the DSI's natural resource and environment cases, said about 2,000 rai of land in the Phu Khikai forest reserve had been seized. Aerial photos of the entire forest reserve would be taken on Tuesday to assess the damage, he said.

Mr Sansern said businessmen, local politicians and officials were suspected to have colluded in the encroachment.

Villagers may have been paid to secure the right to access the forest land under the reform programme. But the papers giving villagers that right were sold to businessmen who had them upgraded with the help of officials into land ownership papers without proper verification.

Local people complained they have been barred from entering the forest to forage for food, said Mr Sansern.

The area in dispute is in tambon Hin Hao and tambon Tha-iboon in Phetchabun's Lom Sak district.

Pol Lt-Gen Yutthana Thaipakdi, an appointed senator, admitted he has a house on land the military had borrowed from the Forestry Department in Khao Kho district of Phetchabun. The land is normally reserved for Hmong refugees.

He said he received permission from Hmong people to build the house on the land. If the military wanted to take the land back, he was willing to comply.

The senator said he was ready to be investigated and would take full responsibility if found guilty of encroachment.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda yesterday ordered the First Army to take action against encroachers on an area under a royally-initiated development project in Phetchaburi. Over 195 rai of forest land under the Huay Satyai project had reportedly been encroached on.

Bangkok Post March 21, 2008
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

Benutzeravatar
KoratCat
Thailand-Forum-Administrator
Beiträge: 7869
Registriert: Sa Jul 22, 2006 11:00 am
Wohnort: Non Sung/Korat (Frankfurt/M)
Kontaktdaten:

Tough going snagging big fish forest encroachers

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Sa Apr 05, 2008 10:10 am

PHITSANULOK

Tough going snagging big fish forest encroachers

POST REPORTERS

PHITSANULOK : Officials have admitted they face major difficulties in getting to the bottom of the massive forest encroachment going on in the province. Nearly 10,000 rai of forest land is reported to have been encroached upon and turned into rubber plantations. This includes lush forest areas in the famous Phu Hin Rongkla and Thung Salaeng Luang national parks in Nakhon Thai district.


More than 1,000 rai has also been occupied illegally in Wang Thong and Chat Trakan districts.

Phitsanulok governor Somboon Sripatanawat admitted yesterday the problem was almost impossible to solve as only villagers had been caught.

The big fish businessmen behind the encroachment have not been brought to account.

The villagers, mostly farmers, sold parts of the deteriorated forest land they had been granted for farming purposes to businessmen, who in turn cleared the land for rubber planting.

Mr Somboon said the villagers refused to implicate the businessmen and without the names of the masterminds, many cases were thrown out by the courts.

He added he would consult the National Resource and Environment Ministry on ways to stop encroachment.

In Yala, a combined team of soldiers and police has been set up to tackle rampant forest encroachment. In Betong district alone, up to 500 rai of forest land has been cleared, Yala governor Theera Mintrasak said.

Meanwhile, Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Thawee Sodsong found local land officials may have issued ownership documents for many land plots illegally, including mangrove forests in Phangnga's Thai Muang district.

According to the DSI, encroachment has been found on parts of the Phangnga naval base as well as in Aow Nang and Hang Nak forest reserves in nearby Krabi province.

Bangkok Post April 5, 2008

Normally one would say following things up that are as documented as land transfers shouldn't be that difficult.
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

newsclip
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Locals blame officials for forest killings

Ungelesener Beitragvon newsclip » So Apr 06, 2008 11:13 am

Locals blame officials for forest killings

Crime rife in national park, say villagers

By Supamart Kasem & Wassayos Ngamkham

Community leaders have blamed state authorities with various illegal interests for last month's murder of a forest official in Khlong Wang Chao national park in Tak's Wang Chao district.

Denchai Thitsakulsawang, the headman at Ban Pha Phueng village, said the murder of Viroj Chuakaopim, who was known to be tough on forest encroachment, was not the work of ordinary timber poachers.

Before the March 23 shooting, which happened in front of his daughter, the head of the Khlong Wang Chao national park protection unit had seized a number of illegally cut logs in the park, said Mr Denchai.

''Even though he was tough on illegal logging, Viroj usually warned villagers and told them about the impact of deforestation. So the villagers could not have been angry enough to kill him,'' he said.

Following the murder, a policeman was also killed and two others wounded while on their way to the scene.

Scattered around the scene of the shooting were spent AK-47 bullets.

According to Mr Denchai, the Wang Chao district is a transit point for narcotics, logs and immigrants from the border districts of Mae Sot and Phop Phra.

Wang Chao police station now has more than 200 cases related to forest encroachment, illegal immigrants and narcotics on its books.

One high profile case involves state officers and dates back to December 2006 when a naval officer was arrested in connection with the murder of a police sergeant in Mae Sot district.

Police found the missing policeman's body buried two metres under the ground close to a warehouse believed to belong to the naval officer.

It is believed that both officers were involved in a human trafficking racket and they failed to settle a business conflict.

Chantra Udompot, a former chief of tambon Chiang Thong, said the scene of the shooting _ in front of Viroj's lodge inside the park _ is one of the spots where illicit activities abound.

Local people are aware that many illegal activities are happening at Ban Huay Lueng, Ban Pa Toey, Ban Pha Phueng and Ban Pang Sangkasi in tambon Chiang Thong, Ban Wang Nam Yen in tambon Nabot and certain villages in Muang district.

''The illicit activities are timber, speed pills and Burmese workers. Not only Hmong people are allegedly involved, some state officials also have a hand,'' Ms Chantra said.

''So these influential figures are ready to make threats against those who stand in their way.''

According to Ms Chantra, the attack on Viroj was not the first. At least three Border Patrol Police officers were ambushed in an incident believed to be related to forest encroachment.

She said that forest encroachment in the district has expanded following the relocation of Hmong people from Phetchabun and Saraburi.

About 10,000 rai of forest in Khlong Wang Chao national park and nearby forest reserves have been allegedly encroached on, she said.

Suvit Rattanamanee, the chief of regional office 12 which supervises the Khlong Wang Chao national park, said there are not enough staff and arms to protect the park, which covers 400,000 rai of forest in Tak and Kamphaeng Phet provinces.

In 2006 the Defence Ministry recalled about 1,000 HK rifles which were on loan to staff patrolling the forests, claiming the guns were needed to quell the southern unrest.

Pol Col Prayont Lasua, the deputy chief of the Crime Suppression Division in charge of Viroj's case, said police investigators have identified the suspects in the forestry official's murder.

He said the killing is related to Hmong people in the area, but noted that police have yet to establish a motive behind the murder.

''It is possibly about drugs, humans and log smuggling,'' he said.

Police investigators will meet in Tak tomorrow to discuss developments in the investigation, he added.

Bangkok Post April 6, 2008

Benutzeravatar
KoratCat
Thailand-Forum-Administrator
Beiträge: 7869
Registriert: Sa Jul 22, 2006 11:00 am
Wohnort: Non Sung/Korat (Frankfurt/M)
Kontaktdaten:

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Mi Nov 25, 2009 7:04 pm

Red-shirt movement files suit against Surayud with Nakhon Ratchasima Court

Nakhon Ratchasima - The red-shirt movement Wednesday filed a lawsuit against privy councillor and former prime minister Surayud Chulanon with the provincial court here, alleging him with encroachment on a forest reserve.

Former Nakhon Ratchaisma MP Suporn Atthawong and other local red-shirt leaders filed the suit with Nakhon Ratchasima Court, alleging Surayud and his wife, Thanpuying Jitrawadee Chulanon, of encroaching upon 21 rai of land on the North Yai Thieng Mountain in Tambon Klong Phai in Si Khiew district.

Suporn said the red-shirt movement was awaiting the court's decision whether to proceed with the case.


The Nation Nov. 25, 2009
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

Benutzeravatar
KoratCat
Thailand-Forum-Administrator
Beiträge: 7869
Registriert: Sa Jul 22, 2006 11:00 am
Wohnort: Non Sung/Korat (Frankfurt/M)
Kontaktdaten:

Re: Politicians linked to forest encroachment

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Do Nov 26, 2009 7:51 am

Surayud hit with complaint over Khao Yai Thieng land

NAKHON RATCHASIMA : A Thaksin Shinawatra loyalist has filed a complaint against Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont and his wife for allegedly illegally occupying forest reserve land.

The complaint was filed in the provincial court of Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday by Suporn Atthawong, a member of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.

Gen Surayud, a former army chief and former prime minister, and his wife have been accused of illegally occupying 21 rai of land on Khao Yai Thieng hill in Nakhon Ratchasima's Sikhiu district, which was declared part of the Khao Tien-Khao Khuen Lan forest reserve in 1965.

Gen Surayud was appointed prime minister after the military coup which toppled the Thaksin administration in September 2006.

Mr Suporn said it was unfair Gen Surayud and his wife, Thanpuying Chitravadee, appeared to have been spared legal action by the Forest Department just as it was cracking down on other landowners in the Khao Yai Thieng area for alleged encroachment.

"This shows the inequality in our society," said Mr Suporn, a former MP for Nakhon Ratchasima. A source at the Forest Department said about 50 landowners were being targeted for legal action by the department, which claimed they had settled in the Khao Yai Thieng area after it was declared a protected forest.

The department's latest survey showed more than 500 rai of land in the forest reserve had been illegally occupied for farming and tourism.

Mr Suporn said if the court accepted his complaint, it would set Jan 19 next year for an out-of-court settlement between the Forest Department and Gen Surayud. If this failed, the court would schedule Feb 22 next year for a hearing.

The former MP vowed to incite thousands of local farmers who were facing land problems to "make friends with Gen Surayud" and occupy land near the privy councillor's house on Khao Yai Thieng hill.

He wanted to see whether those farmers would enjoy the same privileged treatment, Mr Suporn added.

Gen Surayud said his acquisition of the land on Khao Yai Thieng in 1982 was legal and above board, and that he had regularly paid property taxes on the land.


Bangkok post Nov. 26. 2009
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974


Zurück zu „Environment“



Wer ist online?

Mitglieder in diesem Forum: 0 Mitglieder und 9 Gäste