More landless work to foil TAMC plot auction

The protesters, many of them landless, have argued that some of the foreclosed plots were public land before investors submitted them as collateral.

The Council for People from the Four Regions has led the efforts to keep these foreclosed assets for its landless members and has asked the government to not let TAMC auction off these land plots to investors.

Thousands of the council's members have already occupied many of the foreclosed land plots under TAMC care.

The Network of Northeast People, which is a part of the council, said yesterday more than 200 poor people rushed to ask for a share in the 1,024rai land plot on the Mitrapab Road in Ban Nong Kham - Nong Waeng, Khon Kaen's Phra Yuen district.

The network requires them to become members first, for a Bt230 fee.

Some council members have already erected tents or built temporary shelters on the TAMC land plot.

The network's key member, Chusak Jantasuk, said each landless farmer registering with the council should be given 15 rai of land each.

"We hope the TAMC will give this land plot to farmers. However, whether this dream will become a reality depends on our negotiations with the government," he said.

Chusak said all new members were warned that success was not guaranteed.

"They understand and have joined us on a voluntary basis," he said.

Khampan Pochada, 67, was among the new members of the network.

"I am now living on a temple's land plot and working odd jobs," he said, "It will be very good if I can have some one or two rai(s) for growing rice".

He said he had lived near the plot TAMC planned to auction off since he was a child and saw an investor simply take it away.

"I remember it as public land," Khampan said.

So far, he understands he might not get what he wants, even if he joined the council or the network.

"I understand the land plot now belongs to the state," Khampan said. "We cannot simply take it by illegal occupation".