BANGKOK, 15 February 2014 Protesting rice growers who have been camping in front of the Ministry of Commerce have put up a sign saying the ministry is up for sale, at the price of 120 billion baht—the amount owed to the farmers by the government.
The farmers have been protesting the late payment of money owed to them, by camping in front of the Ministry of Commerce since Monday. On Friday they put up the ‘for sale’ sign, in a sarcastic effort to get the 120 billion baht required to pay all the farmers under the rice pledging scheme. The protesting rice growers also distributed rice plants to those who donated to the group on the occasion of Valentine’s Day.
Some of the farmers were reported to have left the camp site to return home for rest, before coming back to Bangkok on Monday for a scale-up of the demonstration, which allegedly will involve a march to the Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary’s Office, where the prime minister was temporarily working from.
In the meantime, the political situation has caused concern among rice growers in Chachoengsao, who are still waiting for the payment from the rice mortgage program. Although the government has already declared it will start paying next week, the farmers are worried that they will be planting the current rice crop at a loss should the mortgage program be cancelled for the next harvest season.
