○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ As a result of the adverse impacts of development and globalisation, the shortage of the world’s natural resources has added commercial and industrial values of biological diversities and natural resources in the tropical forest region such as Thailand. The threats of multinational companies, business groups to seize and exploit natural resources from local communities and the nation as a whole are worriedly increasing. Just recently, Thailand has realised the importance of the people-centred approach to development. The right to development is explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. However, the present development approach is still segregated, failing to accept the poverty as a mistake of the ongoing direction and strategy for development. The government and its agencies do not understand and respect villagers’ ways of life, and centralise the policy formation and implementation. The authorities still do not realise the need to have a legislation to guarantee the community rights, failing to respect people’s participation in development process at the national, regional, local, and sectional levels. Many projects approved by the government, therefore, affected local communities and caused increasing conflicts among the communities, private 16 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (2002-2007) ○ Plan ○ The Strategic investors, and the government.