ELL: Re: Akha Weekly Journal: You Bet The Akha Are Scared! Genocide

Wed Aug 30 11:24:58 UTC 2000

Dawn Star:

Few people take the situation here very seriously, maybe it is overwhelming,
but also there are many things going on in Thailand that the western people
choose to look the other way or close the book on.

Remember God's Army and the haircuts they got at the hospital?

Here is what a man from the UN said:

"Thank you for your information about the Akha people. Although our office
cannot do anything about this specific case, we would like to be kept
informed. Thanks"

Yeah, bet if I had the bomb, they'd like to be informed.

The environment in the regions of the Akha for instance is being totally
destroyed, not by the Akha, but by all the people coming in, outsiders,
exploiting every last piece of land and as a result the Akha are pressured
regarding getting more out of a smaller and smaller plot and soon it will all
be ruined or gone.

Nobody is listening and no one is accoutable.

We would like however any effort we can get to put pressure on any countries
with Thai students stuydying abroad regarding their priveledge in a western
country with a certain degree of human rights and freedom that this is not
the case that they offer to the hill tribe in their own exploiting country.

Many people tell me, gee, it can't be all so dismal, well, I would wish they
would come here and take a look.

Matthew

Dawn Star wrote:

> Is EarthRights International aware of this? What about IRN,
> International Rivers Network, or some of the other so called indigenous
> oriented, ecology oriented, human rights oriented groups?
>
> The Akha problem should not be overlooked.
>
> RainForest Action Network, www.ran.org,
> pwellner at igc.org (Pam Wellner)
>
> EarthRights International, earth at ksc8.th.com, eri at igc.ORG
> Edith Mirante, MAJE at HEVANET.com
> Greenpeace, www.greenpeace.org, www.greenpeace.fr
> fidh, federation internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme
> fidh.
>
> Forum Asia, ua at ahrchk.org, chalida at mozart.inet.co.th
> ALTSEAN-BURMA <altsean at ksc.th.com>
> A L T S E A N - B U R M A/ Debbie Stothard
> Alternative Asean Network on Burma
> Tel: 66 2 275 1811 * Fax: 66 2 693 4515
> <altsean at ksc.th.com>
>
> Matthew McDaniel wrote:
> > Genocide In Thailand
> >
> > Dear Friends:
> >
> > People often ask me why the Akha don't do more to fight for their land
> > rights?
> > And everything else.
> >
> > Well,  the secret lies in the fact that Thailand avoids any problems by
> > never giving these people legal status as either refugees or citizens
> > and the UN could give a rats ass what they do.
> >
> > You wouldn't want to be Hill Tribe at a police check point here in
> > Thailand, when the forestry, police or army come visiting, nor if you
> > have to go to the hospital with your child and no money.
> >
> > Right now the Thai Forestry Department, in violation of about every rule
> > in the international books are intentionally endangering the nutritional
> > safety of the Akha by taking their rice lands.
> >
> > What are the Akha to do?
> >
> > What happens when the government takes away what you have for raising
> > food, as a race?
> >
> > Is it not genocide?
> >
> > Let us call it that, because the continuous efforts on the part of the
> > Thai government to ignore or actually implement the events which are
> > taking away the food system of the Akha is nothing less than Genocide.
> >
> > Repeated forced moves of villages, Forestry continuously taking away the
> > most basic lands needed to grow rice on with no suggested alternative
> > where these people are to get food.
> >
> > How shall they not all die?
> >
> > What shall they eat?
> >
> > Now the Hmong are catching the brunt along with the Akha.
> >
> > Years of planted fruit trees, then the government rules that their land
> > will be included in the boundaries of a park, and then the Thai
> > villagers come and cut down more than 30,000 fruit trees as in THIRTY
> > THOUSAND fruit trees.  Ten and fifteen years old.
> >
> > It is time to raise a little hell folks, call  your embassies, call your
> > foreign ministers, enough is enough.
> >
> > CC copies to me here, and lets rap on any ideas that anyone has, like I
> > say, the UN is totally useless.
> >
> > These people are suffering already incredibly at the hands of wars
> > between the bullheaded nations, and suffer from not enough nutrition due
> > to forced relocations, and there just ain't no way to say GENOCIDE.
> >
> > Matthew McDaniel
> >
> > Thailand Terrorizes The Hill Tribe Peoples
> >
> > Today's Bankok Post Article Following Raid On Hmong Village
> > BORDER / PLA KANG ORCHARD RAID
> >
> > Hmong dignity 'crushed'
> >
> > Bangkok Post, Tuesday 29 August 2000
> >
> >  Highlanders seek legal assistance after violent attack
> >
> >  By: Ploenpote Atthakor, Wuttipong Srisilp
> >  Nan, Thailand
> >
> >  Hmong villagers in Pa Klang will file a legal complaint against
> > lowlanders who destroyed
> >  their lychee orchards during a violent raid last week, NGOs workers
> > said yesterday.
> >
> >  Seewigaa Kitiyoungkul, a member of Conto, a Chiang Mai-based NGOs
> > co-ordinating
> >  agency for highland development, said the highlanders have approached
> > the Law Society of
> >  Thailand for legal assistance.
> >
> >  No complaints have been lodged with local police as yet. The
> > highlanders had been reluctant
> >  to take action because they were told that they, in return, would face
> > the charge of forest
> >  encroachment since their orchards, covering some 1,800 rai, was located
> > in a national park.
> >  The area was made part of Doi Phu Kha National Park last year.
> >
> >  It was not clear whether the charge would be laid against local
> > government officers who failed
> >  to prevent the raid which took place right before their eyes. The raid
> > was carried out with the
> >  blessing of local leaders and village headmen.
> >
> >  While forestry chief Plodprasop Suraswadi denied any involvement in the
> > attack, some
> >  villagers said they saw armed men in forestry camouflage outfits taking
> > gallons of oil to the
> >  area shortly before the raid.
> >
> >  Ms Seewigaa said the highlanders deserved justice, urging the
> > government to step in to
> >  restore their faith and trust. She said damage to property was not an
> > issue in this case. "Now
> >  the Hmong have totally lost faith in the system. They have attempted to
> > make their voice heard
> >  over the past two years but no action has ever been taken by the
> > government."According to
> >  local NGOs, before this raid, there was a similar violence which
> > destroyed 2,500 trees. This
> >  time, it was estimated that some 30,000 trees were lost. "And no state
> > agencies have stepped
> >  forward to accept responsibility." Ms Seewigaa said the Hmong are
> > considering whether they
> >  should bring their case before the UN as the world body has a
> > declaration that gives
> >  protection to minorities. "They feel lost amid intimidation and
> > discrimination. Their dignity
> >  has been crushed. They don't know where to go. Their trees are their
> > life. To cut the trees is
> >  just like destroying their souls. It is hurting them so much."
> > --
> >
> > http://www.akha.com
> >
> > 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

--

http://www.akha.com

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

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