Border trade plans leave locals in flux!!!

 

 

Walk through any farmland in Mae Sot district's Tha Sai Luat
 at the end of the rainy season this year, you're unlikely to
 step on ripening produce. You're more likely to encounter
 muddy, empty land.

 "Most land owners are hesitant to plant crops at the moment

 so their farmland is lying empty for a while," said farmer

 Sombat Ngamdee, 53.

 Farmland at this time of the year -- the beginning of

 harvesting season-- was once filled with produce waiting to

 be harvested.

But since the government announced the Special Economic

Zone (SEZ) in Tak earlier this year, Mr Sombat said farmers

 such as himself have been afraidto invest in farming as they

have no idea if they will have to leave their land.

Mr Sombat backs the SEZ in Tak, first proposed in 2004,

as he believes it will bring opportunities to local people.

However, the decision by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's

government last year to set up SEZs across the country,

 and use Section 44 of the interim charter to implement the

 project on May 15 this year, came unexpectedly.

Locals fear the SEZ in Tak will not only take away their

farmland, but also affect the trans-boundary environment.

 

The government said a total of 2,182 rai of forest land and

 public areas in tambon Tha Sai Luat would go into the SEZ.

About 800 rai will be managed by the Industrial Estate

 Authority of Thailand and the rest by the Treasury Department.

 The government also announced it would use the land for an

 industrial estate and invite companies to join.

 A total of 97 families who have occupied land which the

government intends to allocate to the SEZ -- only a few of

 whom have land documents -- will have to relocate, with

 the state accusing them of encroachment. "We've pushed

 forward with the SEZ in Tak for a decade in the hopes

of improving local opportunities," said Chaiwat

 Wititthammawong, president of the Federation of Industries

 in Tak.

 

While a supporter of the SEZ, Mr Chaiwat criticises the

 choice of industries for the zone in Tak -- including ceramics,

 textiles, leather, furniture, gems and jewellery, engines and

vehicle parts, electronics and electrical appliances and tourism

--which he says they are not "connected" with the local industry

 which relies heavily on agriculture.

"It seems the government is focusing on industry and giving

 privileges to emerging private investors despite the original

 purpose of SEZ being to boost border trade," he said.

 The locals won't benefit much from the proposed businesses,

 except as labourers, along with migrants working for these

labour-intensive industries.

There have been several attempts by previous governments to

 develop an SEZ in Tak as the province is a hub of border trade

with Myanmar, which also connects to the Indian market.

 

 Mae Sot contributed 64 billion baht in export value in the 2015

fiscal year -- a 14.8% increase from 2014.

The government has seen the potential and has pushed forward

 with economic zones in Tak and the provinces of Mukdahan,

Sa Kaeo, Songkhla and Trat. The second phase is expected

to begin next year  in five more provinces -- Chiang Rai,

Kanchanaburi, Narathiwat, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai.

 

 The government says it expects the zones to boost the economy

 by up to 800 billion baht a year.

 Mr Chaiwat also expressed concerns over the environmental i

mpacts on the Moei River shared by people in Mae Sot and

Myanmar.

 

 Meanwhile, activists said rushing into setting up the SEZs in

Thailand has led to trans-boundary impacts on the environment

 and people.

 The Karen Environmental and Social Action Network

 reported fights between Myanmar soldiers and Karen armed

 groups are still breaking out near the proposed site of Hat

 Gyi dam on the Salween River.

 Many Karen people were moved from the land to make way

 for the dam, which will serve as the main source of power

for the SEZ in Tak with about 1,500 megawatts to be sold to

 Thailand.

 

The Karen Human Rights Group says other projects, including

 the Asia Highway 1, a super highway linking the SEZ in Tak

with northeast India via the Thai-Myanmar Relationship

Bridge II, Myanmar's Myawaddy, Hpa-an, and Rangoon,

 have also affected local Karen.

 

 Many received little compensation when they were forcibly

 moved. Farmers in Mae Sot who have occupied land in the

 future SEZ area are likely to be paid about 7,000-12,000

baht per rai in compensation.

 Locals say the figure is too low, as the market price of land

 has increased by least 12 million baht per rai since the

 launch of the SEZ.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd insisted

 the SEZ in Tak will give priority to both the agricultural

 and industrial sectors. The SEZ will take in degraded forest

without the need to expropriate land, he said, adding the state

 will also pay compensation to resettle villagers who may

have encroached on the forest.

News,Politics ,Bangkok Post, 26 October 2015.

 

In my viewpoint, everyone want to live at their hometown

if they are happy there, so it is ordinary even that people

in Tak province who have receive the effect from SEZ

resist it.

 

As the government want the SEZ in Tak as the province to

be a hub of border trade with Myanmar, which also connects

 to the Indian market to stimulate the GPD and the economic

growth, I think this is in total can make the benefit for the

 country so we should accept it for the reason.

 

The important point is the compensation for people who have

receive the effect from SEZ and must move from their land

should get the reasonable compensation.

As the news said the market land price is about 12 million per

rai  and the compensation will be at 7,000-12,000 baht per rai

 that is not the reasonable for them.

 

Sincerely Yours.