Thai authorities assess protest of rubber farmers day by day

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, September 19 (TNA) - Authorities concerned have kept evaluating updates regarding the ongoing protest of rubber farmers in the Thai South based on the daily basis. Viroj Jiwarangsan, Governor of the southern Nakhon Si Thammarat province, held a fresh meeting with other concerned authorities at the Provincial Hall on Thursday to discuss the persistent protest of local rubber growers at his province's Khuan Nong Hong Intersection in Cha-uat district. Viroj said although the situation remains under control, he decided to, again, extend the imposition of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act from 5pm on September 19 to 5am on September 20. According to the governor, Wednesday's meeting also agreed with local police's plan to cope with any renewed blockage of main roads by the protesters. The governor acknowledged that he has also asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to quickly pay subsidies to rubber farmers; while ordering provincial agriculture officials to register the rubber farmers in his province's Cha-uat and Chulabhorn districts who have agreed to accept the official subsidies and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to send its inspector-general to realise the subsidy payment in his province next week. Local authorities have, meanwhile, registered over 60,000 rubber planters, out of a total of about 120,000 of them, covering those who do not have a land right document for their plantations and even latex tappers to ensure that local rubber plantation owners will pass parts of the official financial assistance to latex tappers after they receive the money. (TNA)