Hundreds of Thai farmers have gathered in a protest in Bangkok to set a deadline for the Government to pay for its rice purchase before Feb. 15.
The protesting farmers have also petitioned for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to sue the Government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for corruption activities related to its rice subsidy programme.
During recent days, rice growers in provinces in central Thailand flocked to Bangkok to demand payment from the Thai Government for the rice purchase from October last year. Under the programme, the government purchased rice at 500 USD per tonne, two times higher than the market price, but payment has been suspended since late last month.
Yingluck explained that th e dismissal of the country’s parliament in December 2013 was the reason behind the delay of payment, affirming that all farmers who have joined the rice programme will get full payment as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister is under investigation of the NACC on charge of neglecting the implementation of the programme.
Preliminary statistics showed that the Thai Government owed rice farmers across the country an estimated 4 billion USD in rice payment.
Meanwhile , the opposite camp leading by former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has outlined a plan to collect money for Thai farmers in a bid to attract their support for his side.
However, President of the Thai Rice Farmers Association Prasit Boonchoey affirmed that his agency will not participate in anti-government protests. The Northern Farmers Network (NFN), which has nearly 50,000 members, also said it will neither relate to Suthep’s camp nor organise demonstrations in Bangkok.-VNA
Đăng ký: VietNam News