Hunger
strike gets a sudden boost
Hundreds more set to join fast today
Ampa Santimatanedol and Anchalee Kongrut
Bangkok Post, Aug 5, 2000
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Just hanging out
A clothesline
keeps police and Pak Moon protesters apart at Government
House. Police say they sympathise with the villagers but have to
enforce the law. - Sarot Meksophawannakul |
Eighty more villagers joined the Pak Moon
hunger strike yesterday, after the Special Branch police chief alleged
that students had been paid 300 baht to join the protest fast.
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| Salted fish are left to dry in the sun, food for
villagers not on hunger strike during their protest at Government
House. _ APICHART JINAKUL |
Hundreds more are expected to join the strike today.
The protest received the boost just as the hunger strike was losing
momentum, with only 12 hunger strikers left.
The villagers were upset after Pol Lt-Gen Yothin Mattayomnan told the
media that some students "around the Tha Phrachan area" had been
paid 300 baht a day to join the fast.
He said later he was simply repeating reports he received from his
subordinates.
"The Special Branch has not done anything to help solve the
suffering of the poor. Even worse, Pol Lt-Gen Yothin acts as a proxy that
the government uses to discredit protesters," said Pan Chinvithi,
from Chaiyaphum.
Paijit Silarak, adviser to the Assembly of the Poor, said another 500
villagers may join the fast today.
Both the assembly and the Student Federation of Thailand demanded that
the Special Branch police chief produce evidence to substantiate his
accusation.
"The Special Branch police chief has constantly made
unsubstantiated claims," the federation said in a statement.
"He first said the protesters were Lao. Now he says those who are
fasting have been paid to do so.
"Now it is time for him to show responsibility by backing his
claims with evidence. Otherwise, he should resign."Meanwhile, the
government and the assembly remained deadlocked over the venue for a
public forum to discuss their dispute over last week's cabinet resolution
on solving the villagers' problems.
Government negotiators insisted the venue be the studio at TV Channel
11, which would broadcast the event live. Assembly activists were adamant
it be held at one of the universities, to allow greater public attendance
and access to other news media
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