Bangkok: Bhumtham insists that the governor must assess safety concerns regarding evacuation centers and the need to reclaim land, as he represents the government in the area. If he can't handle the situation, he should let others handle it. He then dismissed a former MP who spoke directly to the governor after he revealed that funds were not reaching the people. He revealed that a meeting with the National Security Council (NSC) and the Cabinet this afternoon will summarize the secretariat's opinions before the GBC negotiations tomorrow.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, acting as Prime Minister, addressed the issue of evacuation centers, where some areas, particularly schools, are seeking reclaimed space to reopen. He questioned whether the Ministry of Interior has sufficient space to accommodate them. He explained that provincial governors, who act as central coordinators and commanders of provincial civil servants, must jointly assess the situation with the military and other agencies to determine safety. Several former MPs and others have stated that the lack of funds reaching the people is a problem for provincial governors.
"I've already told you to do your job well because the people are suffering. It's not that if you can't solve the problems, problems will arise. If the governor can't do his job, as I've already said, you must do your job to the fullest extent, avoid criticism, and take good care of the people. They've already suffered and suffered a lot. We must take care of them to the fullest extent. The government is currently trying to address many issues, both in terms of compensation and other matters. If the governor is there and unable to represent the government in administration, we need to consider what deficiencies he's lacking. I've seen many people speak out, so I'd like you to talk to the governor. They're already coordinating with each other in the province. Why is this happening? Please clearly state which governors or units have problems," said Mr. Phumtham.
Mr. Phumtham also reiterated that he had already emphasized this matter. "If you can't do your job, as I said, you have to do it. As a representative of the government, you have to take care of the people in the area. If you can't do it, then let someone else do it. Okay?"
While today's meeting of the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) will include a National Security Council (NSC) meeting and may require a mini-Cabinet meeting to consider the views of the secretariat attending the morning's GBC meeting, I have not yet received the report and am waiting for it to be sent.
When asked if the Cambodian side's inability to make a decision and having to call Phnom Penh for an opinion would disrupt the GBC meeting, Mr. Phumtham stated that he was not present and therefore had not yet seen the situation.