PM's Office minister clarifies PM's controversial land

But he said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont is willing to return the controversial 20-rai plot of land, alleged to be inside national forest reserve, to the state if the land is found to be part of a national forest in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

He failed to explain what critics claimed to be a dubious acquisition of the land which was allegedly transferred to Surayud's wife by a lower ranking army officer.

"[The PM] didn't really know that the land may have a problem of being possible inside reserved forest," said Thirapat.

He took the microphone at 20 past midnight on Wednesday's night, five hours after a dozen members of the National Legislative Assembly grilled the junta-appointed premier and his cabinet.

"The prime minister has no intention to trespass reserved forest as alleged and reported by newspapers... The premier will be willing to return the land [if founded to be inside reserved forest]."

Theerapat, who was assigned by Surayud to defend the premier at the censure debate added Surayud's country's estate, on a mountain called Khao Yai Thiang, has proper fence, electricity, house number and is located near a community where orchards are grown by locals.

He claimed there's no sign anywhere which indicated that the land is inside a national forest reserve.

The minister added that a cabinet resolution in 1988 also backed the legality on land ownership in the disputed area and pointed out futher that the land was acquired four years after the resolution.

What Theerapat did not answer, however, is the allegation made by NLA members Prasong Soonsiri and Praphan Koonmee, about the condition in which the land was transferred to Surayud's wife, Chitravadee Chulanont.

Both NLA members who were part of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) claimed that an army colonel, by the name of Surarith Chantrangsin, transferred the land without record on any monetary transaction to Surayud's wife  and the colobel eventuallly became a general today.

 Why there allegations need to be substantiated further to prove beyond doubt that some land-for-favour deal took place or not, Theerapat completely failed to even respond to the allegation.

Some crticis accused the NLA members from the anti-Thaksin Shinawatra PAD of wanting to force Surayud to resign so perhaps, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, former junta leader who has just recently been appointed Deputy Prime Minister, could assume the prime minister post and offer the PAD members better protecting against a possible return to power of proxy of Thaksin.

"The PM must take responsibility about Khao Yai Thieng [land]. It's difficult for him to refuse to take responsibility," Praphan told the cabinet and NLA members shortly before midnight.

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation