Thai rubber farmers hold talks with authorities

BANGKOK, September 4 (TNA) - Negotiations have been continued between representatives of the Thai government and protesting rubber farmers although ministers will not meet the protesters at their rallying venues. Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok told reporters of the development on Wednesday morning, saying that he believes negotiations can solve problems. Police General Pracha acknowledged that the government was waiting for negotiations between Police Major General Tawat Boonfueang, Deputy Secretary-General to Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and representatives of the protesting rubber farmers at the Co-Op office in Phun Phin District of the southern Surat Thani Province, while local police and administrators in other areas were negotiating with the protesting rubber farmers in their respective areas. According to the deputy prime minister, if the negotiations failed, the Thai government would pay for the transport of representatives of the rubber farmers so that they could hold talks with concerned ministers in Bangkok. Deputy Premier Pracha affirmed that authorities concerned in the capital, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong, Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Yukol Limlaemthong and even he, himself, are ready to talk with the protesters' representatives. The deputy prime minister insisted that the concerned authorities would not meet rallying rubber farmers in provincial areas, but would, instead, wait for them in Bangkok. The deputy prime minister noted that the government's authorities are exercising the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act to handle ongoing rubber farmers’ protests and provincial governors have the authority under the law to take legal actions. The deputy prime minister also vowed that the Thai government would not allow protesters to close any airport to protect local tourism. Besides, local security authorities have evaluated the situation in their respective areas on the daily basis to consider whether they need to exercise the Internal Security Act (ISA) to handle the rubber growers' protests. The deputy prime minister said that a warrant recently sought by police for the arrest of a suspect, Kiatisak Jankhong, for firing at protesting rubber farmers in the southern Nakhon Si Thammarat Province's Cha-uat District proved that government officers had nothing to do with last weekend's shooting, which killed and injured protesters. The deputy prime minister stressed that, after last Sunday's shooting, authorities have tried to protect the protesters who were closing roads on many locations to prevent any untoward incident by a third party. (TNA)