Bangkok Land Officials Swarm Phuket.............

but are they swarming the most important areas?.

No fewer than 366 officials have been allocated to investigate privately owned land along the border of the Marine National Park. They are all part of the ''Thai Pure Heart'' campaign were the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption, the Interior Ministry, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of Special Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources & Environment and the Agricultural Land Reform Office. The Officers will be split into 36 teams with 6 officers to each team and be allocated to specific areas by way of a lottery, presumably to ensure there is no collusion with the landowners in question.

Bangkok anti-corruption team (pictures from Phuket Wan)

With all these resources at hand, would it have been out of the question to allocate just one of the 36 teams to investigate the land entitlement of the Sea Gypsy Community in Rawai.

Land presently occupied – shown in red. Land previously occupied – shown in yellow.

In fact, I would go as far as to suggest, that in view of the fact that the questionable land entitlement by a handful of local business people, would affect upwards of 2,000 Sea Gypsy residents, that it should be No. 1 on their list of priorities.

Despite ‘noises’ being made by various Governments and Government Departments, to protect the Sea Gypsies, the whole issue, it would appear, has been filed in the ‘difficult tray’, in the hope that if it’s left there long enough, the problem will go away or be forgotten.

Regardless of the fact that the Sea Gypsies and their forefathers have lived in Thailand for many years, they were only recently given the opportunity to get a Thai ID-card and in that respect, 

a step towards recognition as Thai citizens.

One can assume, that it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for the sea gypsies to have had even the slightest chance to have laid claim to the land on which they have lived for well over 100 years before becoming Thai citizens. Non-Thais are, as we all know not allowed to own land in Thailand.

Maybe it’s true to say that the Sea Gypsies of Thailand, have no claim to their land, their homes, their livelihoods or to their Basic Human Rights! Unless someone out there is prepared to fight their case.

Is General Surin the only one who cares?

Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI) President Gen Surin Pikulthong believes that the Government should officially consider that the areas where the Sea Gypsies are living are an integral part of Thailand instead of being considered a special cultural area for the ethnic minorities.

"If this is considered a special area, then there will be some relaxation in the short term, but, once the relaxation is over, then everything will return to the way it was. The sea gypsies will be back in trouble again," said Gen Surin.

He suggested that the government should adopt a policy officially recognising all Sea Gypsy communities in Thailand, and that they belong to the country so that they would be entitled to their basic rights.

 (MCOT online news)