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    Stop hunting for ‘foreign’ scapegoats

    By bobbyd, Created on: 15/08/2009, Last updated on: 17/08/2009

    » This piece is just hypothetical gossip. The writer says “the recent spate of news on proxy ownership”. Recent spate means journalist decided to jump on the issue of foreign scapegoats because it stirs the waters in a rather dull news week. Writer: Sanitsuda Ekacai Published: 13/08/2009 at...

    • david commented : nent starvation of their own citizens. The conspiracy is widespread, with the foreigners paying off and using farmers as proxies for the land purchases. The only problem is that no shred of proof was presented to back up the stories. The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry tried to debunk this outlandish tale, saying it had been unable to find a single case where foreigners or their companies were using Thai nominees for rice farming. The Commerce Ministry also investigated and was unable to find any such case. That proved that the foreign takeover was massive, apparently. As a Bangkok newspaper (not the Bangkok Post) put it: The farmers fear to talk. As with any good conspiracy theory, the denial is proof it exists. The inability of officials to find any land-grabbing allegedly demonstrated how competently cunning the foreigners are. After all, newspapers quoted people in the know. In Chiang Rai, Inkham Namwong, head of a local palm oil cooperative, told reporters that 70% of the farmland in the entire province had been rented to foreigners. Unfortunately, he also had no proof, no names and no evidence. All of this did nothing to pinpoint a major failing of Thai agriculture. Low crop prices have kept farmers impoverished even as middlemen and food exporters thrived. This could be the conspiracy elephant hiding in the middle of the room. It is true that farmers have been forced or encouraged to sell their land to investors for many years, but there has never been any proof that foreigners or their companies were behind any such purchases. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva himself jumped into the issue. ``We will do everything in our power to keep the country's rice farming land out of the hands of foreign investors,'' he thundered. That seemed like a fairly simple goal. In all the nationalistic fervour, no one bothered to explain _ or to ask _ how this massive land grab by foreigners would actually work. That is, once the Arab interlopers have actually grown all this rice and fruit and vegetables for their people, how would they get it out of the country? Have you ever seen an Arab in a Thai rice field?

    • 1 replies, 3,497 views

  • News & article

    Tsunami drill causes concern

    News, Published on 14/09/2010

    » In the past few years, tsunami drills have pointed to a number of problems and it is not clear that officials have paid enough attention.

  • News & article

    20 years and still counting

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 16/09/2010

    » It has been 20 years since the crimes against Saudis were committed, so why are Thai-Saudi relations still at the breaking point?

  • News & article

    Red-shirts return

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 17/09/2010

    » The red-shirt movement is showing new signs of life as the fourth anniversary of the 2006 coup which ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra approaches.

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  • News & article

    Rafa arrives

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 22/09/2010

    » Thai tennis officials were all smiles yesterday as the world’s top tennis player, Rafael Nadal, arrived in Bangkok. He will be by far and away the best known and most exciting player entered in this year’s PTT Thailand Open.

  • News & article

    Somkid steps aside

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 23/09/2010

    » Pol Lt-Gen Somkid Boonthanom chooses not to accept the position of assistant national police chief in an effort to improve relations with Saudi Arabia.

  • News & article

    Suthep likely to run in by-election

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 27/09/2010

    » If the Democrat Party is banned, even the prime minister will be turning to the only senior leader not involved – the possible saviour, Suthep Thaugsuban.

  • News & article

    General Anupong steps down

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 30/09/2010

    » Wassana Nanuam, one the Bangkok Post's top reporters, takes a critical look at outgoing General Anupong Paojinda's time as army chief.

  • News & article

    Possible flaws in Sor Por Kor land reform

    Jon Fernquest, Published on 04/10/2010

    » The old scandal-ridden Sor Por Kor system of land reform may be facing even further problems.

  • News & article

    Reds shirts on the move

    Terry Fredrickson, Published on 11/10/2010

    » Red shirts were on the move through Bangkok again yesterday, mourning the dead and demanding the release of those detained.

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