Chiang Rai News
District Farmers Blockade Chiang Rai – Tachilek Border Crossing in Mae Sai
MAE SAI – Approximately 300 farmers from the Mae Sai District, blocked the border crossing at Mae Sai toT achilek, Monday to protest the Myanmar Authorities decision to demolish makeshift dams on the Mae Sai River.
The farmers in Mae Sai district said Myanmar Authorities in Tachilek destroyed the dams to facilitate flood drainage, which the Thai farmers say stopped water from flowing into their farms.
The Thai farmers said about 10,000 families and about 50,000 rai of farmland on the Thai side are affected.
The Thai Farmers started the Mae Sai borde crossing blockade at around 9 am on Monday morning, causing the Myanmar authorities to closed their border gates for security reasons.
Thai Authorities said that the protesting farmers came from Mae Sai and Koh Chang sub-districts of Mae Sai district after two dams at the Kamnan Daeng pier in Ban Wiang Hom village and the Muang Ngam pier in Ban Pa Sang village were dismantled.
The Mae Sai District Chief Somchai Rungsakorn, along with the Deputy Commander of Phamuang Force Col Songyot Thongkon oversaw the coordination of the local Thai-Myanmar Border Consortium (TBC) for the reconstruction of the Ban Mueang Ngam dyke which stores water supply for cultivation purposes in 12,600 rais of farmland in 2 subdistricts of Chiang Rai.
By Chinnapat Chaimol