ELL: Missions in North Thailand and the Akha: One Observer's Findings

[Matthew McDaniel]

> Missionaries and the Akha:
>
> My personal view:

>
> I have been in north of Thailand myself and have seen what have
> happend with
> the villages that have been christianed. It is from those villages
> that most
> young girls are sent to prostitution to for example Bangkok. It is in
> those
> villages you see most of poorness and bad things. It is in those
> villages
> they have lost all their traditions and they do not know anymore how
> to
> treat and take care of different situations  in life. They are also
> weaker
> and have problems to stand against for example thais that recrute
> drughandlers for missions to and from Burma.
>
> Read and distribute this mail to people that can affect that christian
>
> missionaries follow the rules from UN and international laws. What
> happends
> to Akha people and other hilltribes are against Thai law and are not
> seen
> positive by thai authorities. There can be som thais working for
> government
> that are "blind". The christian mission together with power people
> that take
> over the hilltribes land and plant pineforrests (not normally in
> Thailand
> fauna)are very big threat and totally damage the culture of all
> hilltribes,
> traditions and possibilities to a life in freedom. Instead will the
> hilltribes be converted to a slaveclass to work on the fields for some
> more
> greedy thais or to be shown as some kind of monkeys in a circus for
> paying
> tourists from the west.
>
> Svenne

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Matthew McDaniel
The Akha Heritage Foundation
386/3 Sailom Joi Rd
Maesai, Chiangrai, 57130
Thailand
Mobile Phone Number:  Sometimes hard to reach while in Mountains.
66-01-881-9288

US Address:

Donations by check or money order may be sent to:

The Akha Heritage Foundation
PO BOX 6073
Salem OR 97304
USA

By Visa Card Secure Site:

https://www.givetocharity.com/cgi-bin/give.pl?CODE=10956

Donations by direct banking can be transferred to:
(Preferred)

Wells Fargo Bank
Akha Heritage Foundation
Acc. # 0081-889693
Keizer Branch # 1842  04
4990 N. River Road.
Keizer, Oregon,  97303 USA
ABA # 121000248

Or In Thailand:

Matthew  Duncan McDaniel
Acc. # 3980240778
Bangkok Bank Ltd.
Maesai Branch
Thailand

Web Site:

http://www.akha.com
mailto:akha at loxinfo.co.th

Discussion Groups:
akha at onelist.com
indigenousworld at onelist.com

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