The “SaveThapLan” hashtag has gained nearly a million supporters who disagree with the distribution of a large chunk of the Thap Lan National Park to long-time settlers, communist defectors and their families and resort operators.
Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said today that, during the online and on-site public hearings, which concluded on Friday, 901,892 people said they are against the plan to carve out 42,445 hectares out of the park’s 208,000 hectares, using the “One Map” model to demarcate, to settle decades-old conflicts between the department and the settlers.
Only 45,215 people agree with the plan, proposed by the National Land Policy Committee and approved by the National Parks Board last year.
Of the land to be distributed, possibly under the Sor Por Kor land reform program, about 24,000 hectares is illegally occupied by resort operators and land developers, with the remainder being settled by those who have been there since before the establishment of the national park in 1981 and communist defectors and families, who were settled there by the government of Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda.
Atthaphon said he will summarise the results of the public hearings for submission within one month to the National Parks Board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan. After being considered by the board, the matter will be forwarded to the National Land Policy Committee for conclusion.
Atthaphon said that the National Land Policy Committee must take into consideration the results of the public hearings, in accordance with the National Parks Act, to ensure a balance between land use and forest conservation for sustainable development.
