pwoodse: Tak clinic ponders legal move over land

Dr Cynthia's Clinic

Somjit Rungchamtratrassami,
Prapaporn Kreungew
The Nation
Tak July 10, 2013 1:00 am

The foundation and the clinic support tens of thousands of Myanmar refugees every year, plus children of migrants based or working in Tak.

Magsaysay laureate Dr Cynthia Maung said the field hospital and the school services would remain, despite claims the land has been sold.

Phra Kittisak Kittisophano from the Metta Thammarak Foundation in Chiang Mai, allegedly sold the three-quarter-rai plot for Bt2.7 million to Pol Lt-Colonel Cholthep Maichai, from Fang.

The monk has been attacked for selling the land. But he posted comments on his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/phrakitti) and urged for the case to go to court.

The dispute stems from a decade ago when the clinic wasn't legalised and had problems taking donations. Supporters asked to use the monk's foundation on registration papers as owner of the donated land.

Before the clinic set up the Suwannimit Foundation, it tried to claim the land back under the new foundation's name, but Metta Thammarak Foundation reportedly ignored it.

The Suwannimit Foundation later found out about the purchase and Cholthep being named as the landowner.

This case has concerned many Myanmar migrants, who urged the monk to return the land. Myanmar national Khin Sor who used clinic services at Mae Tao said the Metta Thammarak Foundation should return the land according to human?itarian principles, the foundation's ideals and the land donor's intention to support the Mae Tao Clinic.

On Monday, Cholthep insisted he bought the plot for Bt2.7 million in mid-last year from Phra Kittisak to use after retirement. He would like both sides to talk about the next move and, if they want the land back, he would be willing to resell the plots upon request.