P-Move, a grassroots network, has called on the government to bring back the community title deed project to allocate land to poor and needy people.
Around 100 people from the network submitted a petition asking for its restoration to the Natural Resources and Environment minister on Friday.
P-Move coordinator, Boon Sae-Jung, said the community title deed project is a sustainable way to distribute forest land to poor people to make a living.
Under the concept, only strong communities that prove they can carry out sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation can receive title deeds. The decision to hand them out came from a joint-committee comprising all stakeholders.
The policy was initiated a few years ago during the the Abhisit-led government. The authorities handed out the first title deed to a community in tambon Klongyong in Nakhon Pathom province in 2011. However, the policy was shelved after the Abhisit administration was ousted in the next election won by Pheu Thai.
"It was a pity that such a good and sustainable land use policy was shelved. They were only three communities that received title deeds. These communities are strong and now thrive. However, there are over 400 communities that have been on a waiting list these past several years," Mr Boon told reporters.
P-Move activists said many local forest dwellers were left dismayed when the military-led government ignored the policy.
Instead, the current government came up with its own initiative to allocate 3.4 million rai of forest land to poor people. Most of the land is located in deteriorated forest zones.
Last year, the Department of Royal Forest said that it has allocated 625,000 rai in 58 provinces to people in need.
Mr Boon said the the military government's forest land allocation is not sustainable.
"We have seen no sustainable development in the government's land distribution simply because dwellers are not given legal rights to stay. Also all, decisions must come from a governor or appointed official."
He said the government should revert back to the community title deeds. It could lead to better conservation because communities are required to help protect forests and their ecology in order to get the deeds.
Jaraesak Nantawong, deputy chief of the Royal Forest Department, promised to forward the request to the minister.
