Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has pledged to solve the land rights issue in Mon Cham district in Chiang Mai province if his United Thai Nation Party wins the election. It became one of the key themes of his election campaign in Chiang Mai, which is traditionally a stronghold of the opposition Pheu Thai party.
The conflict between 116 ethnic families and the Royal Forestry Department began over allegations of "misuse" of land allocated for agricultural and residential use. Residents of the area, most of whom are members of tribes that settled in the area as early as 1906, allege that the department uses outdated data when classifying land use. They also indicate that the city of Mae Raem has changed a lot due to urbanization and the rapid development of tourism.
At the moment, more than 30 cases are pending in the courts, and about 70 more are under investigation. Due to the review by the department of all disputed areas, the investigation process is being delayed.
The prime minister promised to expedite the investigation and help resolve the conflict so that residents can continue to use the land they have lived on for generations. He also announced his intention to implement a "one card" approach, whereby all contentious cases would be dealt with on the basis of a single, standardized and updated card.
Despite the Prime Minister's promises, his party is still behind in the pre-election polls, in third place with 8.13% support. However, more than 22% of respondents left their choice undecided.
