Sea gypsies need help

Land conflicts on Lipe island — home to sea gypsies — have flared up again amid concerns over land grabs by greedy business operators in this part of the southern province of Satun.

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On April 27, a company involved in a long-standing land ownership dispute blatantly tore down Ban Koh Lipe school's canteen and toilets in its bid to claim part of the school land.

This school has been at the centre of land conflict for years. In late 2022, the company sparked an outcry when it built a fence blocking access to the school.

The fence, which was later demolished, also cut off an old pathway that links the community's habitat with the beach.

The confrontation prompted the Prayut Chan-o-cha government to ask deputy police chief Surachate Hakparn to head a panel tackling land conflicts across the island.

Pol Gen Surachate pledged a swift probe into false land claims. Yet luck was not on the sea gypsies' side, as the deputy RTP chief fell from grace, and while the government found a replacement, it has yet to approve a budget for the mission.