An hour after a public forum on land disputes in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zone started on Thursday in tambon Yothaka in Chachoengsao's Bang Nam Prieo district, military personnel and security officers from the Internal Security Operation Command arrived at the scene and took over the stage. They describe their intervention as an act to "listen to the people".
The discussion, co-hosted by local people, activists and journalists, was meant to be an open platform for farmers to voice their concern over land grabbing as a result of government development projects.
Paritta Wangkiat is a columnist, Bangkok Post.
