Bangkok: Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn presented crucial evidence to the Land Committee, accusing the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) of facilitating the transfer of land ownership to investors for the construction of resorts. He criticized the Cabinet resolution as merely a policy, not a law, and affirmed that Section 64 of the National Parks Act already effectively protects local residents.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chaiwat, former head of Kaeng Krachan National Park, gave an interview before testifying before the House of Representatives' Committee on Land, Natural Resources, and Environment regarding the results of the adjustment of the boundaries of Thap Lan National Park. He stated that the legislature will be fair, but also noted that the Cabinet resolution being cited is merely a government policy, not a law. Therefore, resolving the problems for the people cannot rely solely on Cabinet resolutions. Furthermore, the villagers' claim that they lived there before the national park was established may not be entirely accurate.
Mr. Chaiwat stated that he intended to present key legal provisions and official evidence to illustrate when the forest was established, when people settled in the area, and when the agricultural land reform zone (Sor Por Kor) came into being. He also questioned allegations of corruption and negligence by government officials and the Sor Por Kor itself, which allowed these problems to occur. Furthermore, he raised concerns about the National Land Policy Council (NLPC), which is supposedly best responsible for overseeing the new state land boundary system (One Map), yet failing to utilize its authority to manage the land and instead transferring it to the Sor Por Kor.
Chaiwat highlighted the issue of land being manipulated into capital, stating that Sor Por Kor knows that land can be jointly invested in, jointly owned, or transferred, allowing new people who are not the original inhabitants to be brought in. He emphasized that this is no longer about national security or helping the poor but about manipulating land.
The former head of Kaeng Krachan National Park further stated that he has clear official evidence confirming discrepancies in the area, particularly the more than 80,000 rai that has been annexed. He noted that local villagers oppose and disagree with this, and that government agencies cannot pretend nothing happened. Such behavior is tantamount to whitewashing the actions of capitalists and government officials who have previously committed offenses and been prosecuted, allowing them to become legal entities.
Chaiwat insisted that laws like the National Parks Act B.E. 2562 (2019) and the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) were developed to allow people to coexist with forests and wildlife, granting the best possible rights to land for farming and residence. However, he stressed the importance of prohibiting the buying, selling, or transferring of ownership.
Chaiwat also addressed the overlapping area of approximately 52,000 rai, stating that the national park has no objection to transferring it to the Agricultural Land Reform Office for management. However, he strongly opposes the excess land that arose with the issuance of backdated documents between 2019 and 2024. He has prepared over 200 pages of information and slides to clarify the matter to the parliamentary committee, emphasizing that he has no vested interest and is speaking out to protect the country's forests.