Thai rubber farmers stage protest

Bangkok

AROUND 50 Thai rubber farmers gathered outside Bangkok's Government House on Tuesday, in defiance of martial law, to protest a draft rubber law and to demand the government buy their produce at higher prices. Farmers in the world's top rubber producer have threatened to step up street action if the National Legislative Assembly does not scrap the draft law, which, they say, will not help shore up prices that are mired near five-year lows.

The draft aims to set up a Rubber Authority of Thailand, which will include farmers and representatives from the public and private sectors, to oversee policy and prices, but protesters were concerned that small-time farmers would be left out.