DSI recovered Nan upstream forest land with restorative justice, locals relinquished uphill, upstream forest for downhill farmland as agreed by all parties and in compliance with the laws on forests and national parks

       On Tuesday 28 March 2023 at 09.30 am, DSI Director-General Police Major Suriya Singhakamol, together with among others Deputy Director-General Police Captain Wisanu Chimtrakool and Advisor to the Project  ‘Access to Human and Community Rights’ Police Lieutenant Colonel Pongin Intarakhao, conducted a joint field visit to locations in Nan Province to promote access to justice (community rights). On this occasion, the team retrieved an encroached forest land and in lieu thereof handed over terraced farmland to the residents of Ban Khunkun, Phuka Sub-district, Pua District, Nan province, and also gave extended farmland to the residents of Ban Pang Yang, Phuka Sub-district, Pua District, Nan.

       Police Major Suriya Singhakamol was quoted as saying that, “This follows the 2022 success, in which DSI retrieved 300 rai of forest land from Ban Pang Yang residents who gave up their farmland for the government to develop into terraced rice fields, and in return the locals were given necessary support to shift from monoculture, which relies on toxic substances, to fruit and livestock farming. After that the residents of Ban Khunkun in Phuka Sub-district expressed their desire to give up encroached forest land for similar cause. Today, the DSI team paid a visit to Phuka Sub-district of Pua District, with the local authorities (President of Phuka Sub-district Administrative Organization, Manager of Nan Highland Development Project Using Royal Project System, forest rangers of Yang waterway, forest officers of Doi Pu Kha National Park, non-formal education teaching volunteer from Ban Khunkun Highland Community Education Center, Pua Forest Protection and Development Unit, and  Director of Center for Community Development and Sustainability (Nan Province) of CP Group. This visit aims to fulfil the wish of Ban Khunkun residents, by retrieving 150-rai of encroached land and handing over 13 plots of terraced farmland and 1 building in their locality to the residents. Also up and coming are an inspection visit to terraced farmland in Ban Pang Yang after being given to its residents last year and the handing over of an additional 12 plots of terraced farmland to Pang Yang residents. At present, several agencies are joining hands to develop the area, with special mention made of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for their budget allocation.”

       The Department of Special Investigation, through its Project  ‘Access to Human and Community Rights’, and the local authorities are well aware of the importance of participatory governance. Apart from performing its core duty in law enforcement, DSI also works to ensure alternative access to justice through restorative justice so as to sustainably alleviate suffering and advance well-being of the fellow Thai people, based on the Government’s people-centered policy guidelines.