Six northeastern farmer movements are putting aside their differences in the pursuit of a common goal to get the government to relieve the plight of the poor.

Forum of the Poor adviser Veerapol Sopa said the six organisations are willing to "put their past behind" in order that they can pool efforts in salvaging the rural and farming sectors.

Mr Veerapol said his organisation and five others - the Assembly of Small- scale Northeastern Farmers, Assembly of Northeastern Farmers, Alliance of Northeastern People, Thai Farmers Foundation and Northeastern Agricultural Institutions Front - want the government to show that it also cares for the poor.

"The government was quick in coming to the rescue of financial institutions, why don't they do the same for us farmers?" he said.

Mr Veerpaol said hundreds of billions of baht have already been used to save the financial sector from collapsing and the government has been clear in what it would do under the rehabilitation plan.

This caused farmers to feel that they were abandoned, despite the fact that they have been suffering from much bigger problems, since the state has never showed any concerted efforts to help them survive.

Perhaps one reason for the neglect is the authorities' perception of the farmer movements. Intelligence units see them as using the forces of the poor to fight against capitalism. The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, believed they merely wanted to mount pressure on the government with the backing of the opposition.

Mr Veerapol argued that all organisations had good intentions in their fight for the poor, which he called the salvation of the nation.

Their joint statement issued on January 29 demanded that the debt burden of US$70 billion baht incurred by the private sector must not be placed on the entire country. People involved in financial fraud and mismanagement must be punished.

The six organisations also wanted the government to reveal conditions made with the International Monetary Fund under economic bailout package, give the people a say in the allocation of the budget or in the borrowing of loans to solve the economic crisis - and allow the people to take part in the review of the Eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan.

The government must answer whether it would agree to all demands within this month or face a massive protest in Bangkok.

Mr Veerapol said talks of the six organisations to discuss campaign strategies went well, with help from academics like Surichai Wankaew of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science, Banthorn Ondum, a former lecturer of Thammasat University and Somkiat Pongpaibul of the Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat Institute.

Campaigns to increase awareness of problems of farmers would also be launched among labour leaders, civic groups and the media.

Mr Veerapol said no fewer than 50,000 of the combined number of 500,000 members of the six groups were expected to join the protest in Bangkok. Food and other supplies have already been prepared for a stay of at least three months.

The protest would see key activist like Bamrung Kayotha work side by side again with former friends like Nakhon Srivipat or Auaychai Watha.

These people used to work together in ASFN but political interference caused them to turn their backs on one another.

The rift widened after Mr Auaychai developed close relations with Chingchai Mongkoltham, known as "the right-hand man" of New Aspiration Party leader Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.

Mr Bamrung then pulled out of ASFN and joined Vanida Tantivitthayapithak, Nitirat Sapsombbon, Mr Veerapol and Mr Somkiat in establishing the Forum of the Poor in 1995.

Once a strong organisation, internal changes appeared to weaken the role of ASFN.

The group virtually made no move to pressure the government of Banharn Silpa-archa but opted to bring its demand to the negotiation table. That raised suspicions that ASFN had given in to politicians, particularly Suvit Khunkitti of the Social Action Party who oversaw the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry at the time.

A landslide victory of NAP in the November 1996 general election in the Northeast, which enabled Gen Chavalit to form the government, was attributed partly to the support of ASFN under Mr Auaychai.

The appointment of Mr Chingchai as an ASFN executive even gave weight to a belief that NAP had already taken full control of the organisation.

The Forum of the Poor, meanwhile, was firm in its stand of protecting the rights of the poor.

ASFN freed itself from politics in 1997 when it elected a new executive board which had Khen Fangrit as its chairman and Mr Nakhon as secretary-general. Mr Auaychai failed to make it back to the board.

It later joined with the Northeastern Agricultural Institutions Front, Thai Farmers Foundation, the Cooperatives of Sugarcane Planters of the Northeast and the Khon Kaen Agricultural Cooperatives in pressing on for better state assistance for farmers.

Their moves, however, have so far failed to yield fruitful results.

The Forum of the Poor proved itself more organised. The fact that its latest protest at Government House last year could last for 99 days indicated that it had good planning and management.

Mr Nitirat, the Forum spokesman, said his group kept records of all of its moves in a database from which information would be used in designing campaign strategies.

A total of 121 problems involving land rights and forest destruction, debts of farmers and unfair treatment against the poor by the state remained unresolved.

By following up on the progress the state has made in solving the problems, Mr Nitirat said that should be a proof of his organisation's pure intention to help the poor.

"We wanted the public to accept that we were not hired by anyone to cause disturbances. We really suffer," he said.

The Forum was always ready for the inspection of its financial records to silence accusations that it has been sponsored by some foreign organisations and political camps to stage rallies, Mr Nitirat said.

He said the group only worked closely with the media and some non-governmental organisations abroad.

Local leaders were informed of latest developments concerning the economic crisis. They were told how the IMF austerity measures would affect farmers, the middle-class and businesses and what the government was doing in solving the problems.

"I could say that some of our members had better knowledge and understanding about problems of the country than some politicians," Mr Nitirat said.

Mr Nakhon, the ASFN secretary-general, said the six movements would not become one. Each would be independent and have full freedom in making decisions.

Mr Veerapol, as the coordinator, said there should be no problems in the joint rally. "I hope each of us would be able to respect the differences of one another," he said.