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Police drag away villagers
Officials deny claim of 30 people
injured
Dusit Singkhiri http://scoop.bangkokpost.co.th/bkkpost/2002/sep2002/bp20020919/news/19sep2002_news15.html
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| Police
drag away a protester who occupied part of the Ubon
Ratchathani provincial hall, in a raid to disperse the
demonstrators yesterday morning. _ TAWEESAK BUTCHAN |
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Police used force yesterday to disperse
protesting villagers who laid siege to the provincial hall.
More than 150 police and volunteers were sent to the gathering venue
of about 100 protesters who occupied the first floor and blocked the
entrance to the building.
Most protesters were members of the Assembly of the Poor.
They demanded authorities urgently address alleged encroachment on
public land in Phibun Mangsahan district, and order the Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand to open all sluice gates of Pak
Moon dam.
Most protesters were elderly who had gathered at the provincial
building since Tuesday. |
Leading assembly members blasted the police action,
saying their group had the right to use the provincial hall as it had been
built with taxpayers' money.
In a press release, the assembly accused police officers of forcibly
dragging elderly villagers from the building. They said about 30
protesters suffered injuries during the police operation.
Provincial authorities denied the claim.
Ubon Ratchathani governor Chaisit Hotrakit defended the police action,
saying the use of force was necessary as the gathering site was the
official building which housed several agencies. The public contacted
officials at that building every day, he said.
Protesters were allowed to gather in front of the hall or outside the
building, but occupying the building was against the law.
Regarding the alleged encroachment on public land, authorities had already
looked into the problem and would propose a resolution tomorrow, he said. |
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