Slum-dwellers to call on Apirak, Surayud

More than 1,500 slum residents will today go to Government House to hand over a letter calling for action to solve their problems.
The chairman of the Slum Residents Network, Chinda Charoensuk said yesterday that members of the network from all four regions of the country would march from Sanam Luang to Bangkok City Hall and then to Government House. The group will submit letters to Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin and Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont urging quick action on their problems, especially land allocation. Chinda said his group would make four suggestions to the government. The first is that the government continue the Baan Mankong project started by the previous government. Second, he said, the government should allow them to have long-term leases on state housing and ease some of the regulations on building their own homes. Third, a halt to all evictions of communities from land they do not own. Finally, the government should draft a law to collect land tax at a progressive rate based on their income. "Our movement has no hidden agenda. We only hope the government will solve the poverty problem. And we will follow the government for 30 days after submitting our demand before planning our next step," Chinda said.
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