PMUFF Submits Draft Land Amnesty Bill for Poor Communities, Urges Government and Opposition to Fast-Track Legislation
A grassroots movement submitted a draft land amnesty bill to Parliament seeking justice for over 10 million poor families prosecuted under forest and state land policies that displaced them from ancestral settlements.
The People's Movement for Social Justice (PMUFF), led by Jamlong Nupan, submitted a draft land amnesty bill to Parliament at 8:45 a.m. on May 26, 2025, presented to Parliament Speaker Sophon Sarathum through advisor Pol. Lt. Col. Vichai Sangpraipaip. The bill seeks amnesty for citizens harmed or affected by state land and forest policies, accompanied by a list of 12,706 eligible voters.
According to PMUFF, government land and forest policies have monopolized resources, leaving poor and marginalized communities facing criminal charges despite establishing communities before state boundary declarations. Pioneer settlers have been wrongly labeled as trespassers and prosecuted, while their communal lands became state property—some seized by influential elites—leaving the poor without livelihoods or homes. Following the 2014 coup, forest reclamation policies prosecuted over 48,000 poor families while ostensibly targeting capitalist encroachment.
Jamlong stated the bill would rescue poor communities from failed policies used unjustly against them, with justice systems weaponized to imprison rather than protect them. PMUFF urges the state to pass amnesty legislation, clear records for affected communities, and restore land rights to original settlers. The organization hopes legislators and eligible voters—representing over 10 million affected families—will submit the bill for parliamentary consideration and swift implementation.
Pol. Lt. Col. Vichai stated Parliament Speaker has accepted the draft and recognizes the impact of government land and forest policies on citizens. While the Speaker supports the initiative, all procedures must follow legal protocols. He promised to forward the bill to relevant authorities and provide updates on progress.
