BANGKOK, Jan 21 – Farmers from several rice-producing provinces called on the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) today to seek legal assistance in filing a lawsuit against the government for its failed payment for the rice they sold to the state under the rice subsidy scheme.
Prasit Boonchoey, leader of the Thai Rice Farmers Association, and farmers from many provinces charged the caretaker government with postponing payments six to seven times and recently announced an indefinite delay, pending a decision by the Election Commission (EC).
He said farmers would not propose any resolutions for it is the duty of the caretaker government to jointly find measures with the EC to pay farmers as soon as possible.
“The farmers do not know when they will be paid. They have to lodge lawsuits with the Civil and Criminal courts to take legal action against caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in her capacity as chairperson of the National Rice Policy Committee, and state officials concerned,” he said.
He called for sympathy to farmers who have delivered rice to the government and have been indebted at Bt50,000-100,000 per household.
Suparb Simsen, a farmer representative from Phetchabun, handed over rice delivery certificates from over 100 farmers to the Lawyers Council. The farmers were given the certificates after selling rice to the government but have yet to be paid.
She said almost all farmers in Phetchabun have not received payments but their debts have piled up.
“The government is currently in difficult position. We are ready to wait for payment from the new government,” said Ms Suparb.
Some farmers said the government must return the rice to them if it fails to meet it payment obligation.
