Ministry drops plans to evict forest monks

       The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has scrapped its plan to evict temples encroaching on protected forests.
       Minister Suwit Khunkitti yesterday told about 100 monks at a seminar on conservation their monasteries would not be removed from protected areas if the monks provided authorities with help to protect forest lands.
       Earlier this month, the Forestry Department, which comes under Mr Suwit's supervision, announced it would begin closing temples which encroach on protected forests.
       The policy is in line with the 1995 cabinet resolution instructing the department to remove monks living illegally in national parks, watershed areas and wildlife sanctuaries.
       The department said there were 5,529 forest temples occupying 190,000 rai of forest land, most of them in reserves.Sixty-eight temples were initially earmarked for closure.
       The eviction plans drew fierce opposition from monks across the country.
       "We won't push [the monks] out of the forest, even if the temples were built before or after the declaration of protected forests," Mr Suwit said.
       "Monks are the key players in forest protection."
       The minister said forestry officials would work with temples to develop a better understanding of how to live in harmony in ecologically fragile areas.
       But the ministry would introduce measures to prevent the establishment of new temples in forested areas, Mr Suwit said.
       Yongyuth Chamnanrop, chief of Phupayol national park in the northeastern province ofMukdahan,applauded the new position.
       "At the ground level, strict law enforcement is sometimes not the right answer," he said."We need compromise."
       Phupayol national park recently filed charges against Phu Mai How forest monastery for forest encroachment and destroying a cave in the park.