Youth group denies hand in rally strife
The ‘‘Luk Kwan Loy Lom’’ group has been accused of using violence in the rubber protests in Nakhon Si Thammarat. But its adviser insists that although its members joined the rally at Khuan Nong Hong intersection on Highway No. 41, they were not responsible for the clashes there last month.
Speaking to PRADIT RUANGDIT, Surachai Songmuang says he wants to set the record straight and maintains the group’s members — comprised of young rubber tappers and students from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang and Phatthalung — are non-violent.
The group describes itself as an organisation defending the monarchy and conserving nature, and acknowledges early protests at Khuan Nong Hong have been in vain.
Why did the group help the rubber farmers in the protests?
We took part in the [Khuang Nong Hong] gathering on Aug 23 to support the protesters, as many of us work as rubber tappers ourselves and our parents also tapped rubber.
About 80% of our teenage members work as rubber tappers, while the rest are students.
We have also been troubled by the falling rubber prices.
In the beginning, we only took part in the demonstration. As the protesters were forced to disperse, Luk Kwan Loy Lom decided to provide security for them.
Many groups were involved in the gathering from the outset. Other groups set up a stage and called for the road closures, and we just followed them.
The groups decided to blockade the road to urge the government to solve the falling rubber prices.
Why did your group not join the [Khuan Nong Hong] protesters on Sept 14?
Farmers who held talks with the government came back and told demonstrators that the government agreed to guarantee the rubber price at 90 baht a kilogramme and a subsidy of 1,210 baht per rai. The protesters called off the rally on Sept 6. Afterwards, Luk Kwan Loy Lom members met and agreed to wait and see if the government would keep its word.
When the protesters returned on Sept 14, we didn’t rejoin the rally because we were busy building a weir across a river.
We will take part in the protest when there are clear leaders [in the rally] who really work for the interests of the farmers. The group will assess the situation to determine if we will rejoin the protest.
Is there any truth in the allegation that your group employs violent measures?
That’s not true. I can tell you that 99% of our members are good-natured and have a vision. We’re disciplined, honest and punctual. We’re honest to ourself and to society. We also respect one another’s rights.
Have the farmers asked the group to help with their latest protest?
They did, from day one. But we’re monitoring the situation. We believe the protesters are out on the street because they are genuinely facing a problem.
But [protest] leaders making demands of the government must show they are doing everything for the farmers. If that remains unclear, we won’t rejoin.
In the first two protests we took part in [at Khuan Nong Hong], we were being used. The protests ended in vain.
Has the group been pressured by the police or authorities?
We were being watched by the police. They wanted to find faults with us. But if we had been criminals as accused, they would have turned up evidence and arrested us. We’re not above the law. When we were part of the protests, there was no violence. We came with our hearts. Money can’t buy us.
How did your group come about?
We are young people from Cha-uat, Chulabhorn and Ron Phibun districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat; from Ratsada and Huai Yot districts of Trang; and from Pa Phayom district of Phatthalung.
We came together about two years ago. There are 400-500 members. Most of us are rubber tappers with little or no education. Some of us are also students.
We mainly conserve and rehabilitate nature. We build weirs and restore nature that has been damaged by man. We’ve been vilified as teenage hoods but we will prove [our critics] wrong.