Govt woos farmers, reds with debt shelter plan
Published: 31/03/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The government is introducing a debt moratorium scheme for farmers worth 80 billion baht which is seen as a strategy to appease grass roots people as political divisions continue to widen.

The plan was released as tension mounted after a second round of negotiations between red shirt demonstrators, most of them farmers in northern and northeastern provinces, and the government failed on Monday.

A government committee on easing farmers' debts is planning to submit the scheme to cabinet next month.

The ad hoc committee met on Monday to discuss a debt moratorium scheme for about 80,000 farmers who are members of the Farmers' Reconstruction and Development Fund (FRDF) and 430,000 farmers who are not FRDF members.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...t-shelter-plan