Rubber farmers in the South planned another protest over a recent rubber board’s agreement allowing the private sector to collect export fee.
They also will call on the governor of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) and its board director to step down for alleged mismanagement of the rubber exports
Rubber farmer leader Pratop Suksanan who revealed the protest plan to media representatives earlier this week was briefly detained by soldiers at Trang airport on Friday (March 9) for questioning and for “attitude adjustment”.
According to Mr Pratop, the protest rally was planned on March 14 at the office of the RAOT in Trang.
The protest was aimed to call for the resignation of the RAOT governor Titus Suksaard and its board chairman Gen Chatchalerm Chalermsuk for their alleged mismanagement of the rubber affairs, particularly when both were reportedly behind the push for the private sector to collect rubber export fee, or cess, from exporters on behalf of the RAOT.
He also accused both of their failure to promote the use of para rubber by the public sector.
He said of the 18,000 tons of para rubber under the promotion project, the RAOT could promote only 3,900 tons.
Meanwhile former Trang MP for Democrat Party Sathit Wongnongtoey said the government’s rubber management policy has encountered problems because the government put the wrong men to do the jobs.
He accused the two of lacking of experience in handling rubber management and failing to listen to the opinions of rubber farmers.
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