Following a complaint to the Damrongtham Centre, the vice-governor and a variety of officials arrived to arrest the community leader, Jirapat Pumi, for encroaching on public forest, and also for modifying the klong without permission.
Around 300 families have lived in the community for a decade or so, and Mr Jirapat “purchased” his land in a verbal agreement for around B70,000 – there was no exchange of documents. He has lived in the area since around 1991.
Following a complaint to the Damrongtham Centre on June 17, yesterday officials visited the area to investigate complaints by other residents against Mr Jirapat.
In the complaint letter, the residents allege Mr Jirapat modified Klong Mudong without permission by filling it in to strengthen a road that had collapsed. He is also accused of moving an electricity pole without permission, and feeding wild pigs – which some residents fear may bite and may also bring disease to the area.
V/Gov Somkiet visited the area yesterday and was met by a defiant Mr Jirapat and his daughter, who denied all the accusations.
“If you want to arrest me, arrest all of us,” shouted Mr Jirapat.
“Arrest everyone in this community because everyone has encroached on this area,” his daughter shouted.
“As for the road over the stream, he has helped all of us in the community. He paid for it himself to fill the canal because the road was collapsing and we would have been not have been able to get to the area. If you arrest him, you have to arrest all the other people here too,” she said.
V/Gov Somkiet said, “If you are doing things correctly, just tell us. If you have evidence, show it to us. Don’t use your temper.”
As he was being escorted away by officials, Mr Jirapat said, “I’m not going to help this community any more. If the canal bank collapsed, or the road can’t be used, I’m going to leave it like that. Because I fixed it, and now I’m being arrested.”
Some of the residents defended Mr Jirapat, saying he had done good things for the community such as introduced electricity into the area and improving the access road.
“We have been on this piece of land for 10 years, but this is the first time anyone has complained about us,” said one resident.
She said that newcomers to the area had made the complaint to the Damrongtham Centre that sparked yesterday’s arrest, because they had a personal issue with Mr Jirapat.
Mr Jirapat was released on bail of B100,000. His case will be heard in the Phuket Provincial Court.
–Naraporn Tuarob & Ramon Bencharitiwong