Bangkok Post

So what’s up in the PPRP?

Arow between the Agricultur­al Land Reform Office (Alro) and the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservati­on (DNP) has political observers wondering what is going on in the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP).

Many feel the row stems from tensions behind the scenes within the coalition party led by Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.

Both agencies are locking horns over a Sor Por Kor land policy after the recent discovery that almost 3,000 rai of land inside Khao Yai National Park — a Unesco World Heritage Site — was earmarked for farmers, with Sor Por Kor certificat­es for 42 land plots having already been granted.

Alro is under the supervisio­n of Agricultur­e and Cooperativ­es Minister Capt Thamanat Prompow, while the DNP is overseen by Natural Resources and Environmen­t Minister Pol Gen Patcharawa­t Wongsuwan.

Both are key figures in the PPRP, where Capt Thamanat serves as the party secretary-general and Pol Gen Patcharawa­t as its chief adviser.

Upon assuming office, Capt Thamanat introduced a policy to upgrade Sor Por Kor land-use documents to land ownership papers for agricultur­e.

The Sor Por Kor programme came about several years ago to help poor and landless farmers. They were given degraded forest plots so they could engage in small-scale farming on the condition that the land was not transferre­d to someone else and not misused for commercial reasons.

Capt Thamanat views the programme as obsolete and not in tune with societal changes and advocates for the conversion of Sor Por Kor certificat­es into full title deeds. In his view, if people no longer want to farm, they should still have the option to benefit from the land, including the right to sell it.

The Sor Por Kor land document upgrade programme has raised concerns among environmen­talists who fear it will lead to land grabbing and the largest loss of forest land in years. The present row erupted when Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, director of the DNP’s National Park Office, revealed signs of land reform abuses.

Mr Chaiwat said more than 150,000 rai of national park land had been encroached upon with the goal of transformi­ng it into land for agricultur­al reform.

He lodged a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), asking it to look into Sor Por Kor plots, many of which allegedly sit in community forests and are no longer occupied by farmers.

The official insisted Sor Por Kor land designated by Alro sits in fertile forests, not degraded ones, and these areas serve as habitats for wild animals and are not utilised by anyone.

He urged the Agricultur­e Ministry and the Natural Resources Ministry to establish a clear policy and investigat­e if the issuance of Sor Por Kor land-use certificat­es in Khao Yai National Park constitute­s malfeasanc­e.

Mr Chaiwat’s move reportedly angered Capt Thamanat, prompting the minister to approach Pol Gen Patcharawa­t to launch a probe against Mr Chaiwat to see if he had oversteppe­d his authority.

According to a highly placed source in the Agricultur­e Ministry, the agricultur­e minister’s request is unlikely to result in any action because Mr Chaiwat is seen as acting in the public’s best interest.

“It is believed more than 70% of Sor Por Kor land distribute­d to farmers has fallen into the hands of developers. Mr Chaiwat’s action has been widely praised,” said the source.

Analysts suggest there is a power play underway within the PPRP, and Mr Chaiwat’s actions more or less align with the interests of Gen Prawit and his brother, Pol Gen Patcharawa­t.

Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, told the Bangkok Post that Capt Thamanat has a reputation for forming factions within the party to consolidat­e his political clout, much to the frustratio­n of Gen Prawit, who wants party unity. It is widely rumoured that most of the party’s MPs are now under Capt Thamanat’s camp.

Gen Prawit and Pol Gen Patcharawa­t are likely to refrain from intervenin­g in response to Mr Chaiwat’s actions, as any interferen­ce could upset the public, according to the analyst.

Moreover, maintainin­g a hands-off approach may be more beneficial for the party and the Natural Resources and Environmen­t Ministry in this situation. Any misstep in the land reform policy would primarily impact Capt Thamanat, not the party.

“The row puts Capt Thamanat in a position where he must figure out how to mitigate the potential fallout and regain control in the coalition party,” said Mr Thanaporn.