ELL: Akha Weekly Update March 21, 2000

[Matthew McDaniel]

Dear Friend:

Akha News Service
Maesai, Chiangrai, Thailand:

We distributed all the Akha readers that we had left in numerous
villages, the demand far outstrips production.

We continue to work on the problem of the forestry department taking the
land away from the Akhas as related to the subsequent planting of non
native specie pine.

We are drawing increasing international attention to this matter and
will pass word along when we finally alter this policy.

We continue to track the deaths in utero of babies of Akha women here in
the north.

There was another one last week, baby 8 months.

The video The Akha Way is showing at the National Meseum of Natural
History in DC.

On the 19th of this month, a few days ago, it showed at the Smithsonian
Institued in DC as well.

It would appear that National Geographic has also purchased the video
for viewing on National Geographic Asia.

Two days ago journalists arrived and did a two day story on the
destruction of Akha traditional culture in Northern Thailand on the part
of Taiwanese and American missionaries and others.  This report will be
going into the Hong Kong Paper and the Singapore Straits Times.

Mae Chan Luang Akha Village, where we built the school, is still being
split by Taiwanese missionaries and their efforts which are against the
will of the elders and headmen, therefore in violation of the law, will
be opposed until stopped.  Will keep you posted on that.

The silkcreen design in Thai Language, "Taiwanese and American
Missionaries continuously destroy Akha Traditional Culture" is finished
and is now going into production.  We will be producing several thousand
of these T-Shirts as the funds arrive.

The Akha are elated to finally be able to speak their mind on this
matter.  T-Shirts and our "Missionaries Suck!" bumper sticker campaign
are going well, we have given out hundreds in the mountains, Akhas
posting them on their trucks, sick of the religious exploitation,
interference and harrassment of their villages.

One pentacostal or baptist group, loosely related to the American
Baptist Project DAPA is trying to build a complex for taking more
children away from their Akha villages in the Haen Taek Region.  We
oppose this complex, have posted a watch on it, numerous buildings
constructed already.

Ah Sauh, the ringleader of this new scam to gather western funds at the
expense of Akha Children, is planning to emphasize "orphans" much like
Rose Martinez's Christian Happy Home, sponsored by Youth With A Mission,
when in fact there are few Akha orphans.  Or as the Akha like to say,
there has yet to be born an Akha orphan.

To cloak his actions which damage the culture, Ah Sauh stated that he
will erect a traditional Akha gate and swing at this child center, in
direct violation of Akha Law.

Pah Kaw Akha Village, in Chiangrai District:

Three houses in the village decided to "go Christian".  Members of these
three houses needed to build a coffin so they were going to go into the
traditional cemetary area as an insult and cut a tree for the wood.  The
elders warned them that this was against Akha Law.  In retaliation, the
Christian members called forestry and told them that the traditional
villagers were actively cutting trees in the area.  The forestry
officials arrived and for their trouble confiscated the wood saved for
many years for the building of homes since they could not find new wood
for some other use to confiscate.  Cutting of trees for homes in a
community is considered legal in Thai Law, but not for a store or some
other business or out buildings.

Since this wood had been carefully collected over 5 to 6 years, allowed
to cure and saved away, it was considerable financial loss to the Akha
families.  As well the forestry department came with numerous trucks and
70 Thai army soldiers.

In the ensuing confrontation, hundreds of villages attempted to block
the forestry trucks and this illegal seizure without due process.

Seventh Day adventists missionaries, in a house adjacent to the scene,
failed to ask the Army officers and Forestry officers present what they
were doing, since it had obviously enraged the villagers, and stayed in
their home.

The confrontation continued and finally the forestry and army, heavily
armed,  and having loaded all of the wood on numerous trucks, left the
unfinished houses as they were and then arrested eight Akhas.

In this process they arrested three or four of the Christian Akha as
well, who had brought this problem to the village.

Upon leaving the village, the younger sibling of one of the Christian
Akha men arrested ambushed the trucks on the road and shot one forestry
officer through the neck, killing him and escaped back into the woods.

When I arrived at the village, to investigate, all the three Akha
Christian houses were abandoned in the village of Pah Kaw Akha.

I was not at all surprised that the missionaries failed to intervene to
assist the villagers.  They said they were there to convert and change
the adjacent Yao villagers anyway, had been there for seven years and
didn't like the Akhas.

They felt that Thais should be allowed to cut trees to build homes but
Akhas should not.

They knew that the forestry department was planting much non native pine
in the region but could not explain why the forestry department was
doing this instead of planting native species.

A large meeting was held with one Akha man from London at San Chai.  A
new mandate was drawn up that the destruction of traditional Akha
civilization should stop and that Christian Akha would be required to
leave traditional Akha villages where they were causing division and
conflict.  Missions would be blocked from interference in traditional
villages, the taking of children from those villages and Christian Akha
would no longer be allowed to enjoy the traditional holidays and
festivals which the traditional Akha carry out since they speak against
it and are not contributors, never holding dances or music festivals at
their own villages, never killing a single pig for the purpose of
sharing the meat, but always taking the opportunity to eat at the
traditional villages and hussle the traditional Akha girls who live
under Akha Law.

Missions which engage in ongoing illegal actions against the traditional
Akha villages to proselytize them and try to force conversion will begin
to be confronted at their compounds.

A new agenda was put out for displacing Thai music dubbed in as "Akha"
and replace it with truly Akha songs, sung by elders alike, with
instrumental accompanyment.

The United Nations would be and were contacted regarding the taking of
land that the Akha use for planting rice, the forced excessive shifting
of farming lands as engineered by forestry and the Thai Army, and the
interference of missions.

Simultaneously work is progressing on addressing mission related issues
as from the perspective of genocide in legal arguments under
construction.

We will keep you posted of this matter.

A copy of the Jesus Film in Akha was obtained and it was discovered that
the errors in translation repeatedly slamming the traditions of the Akha
were not only used once on the part of the Campus Crusade people but
repeatedly.

A couple from Georgia, missionaries, were discovered to be living in the
village of Doi Chiang, stationed for three years, with the sole goal of
converting more of the traditional Akha there away from their
traditions.

A request will be made that they be removed from this village.

We are awaiting a meeting with the Thai Army who are supplying us with
photos regarding the Thai Forestry Departments damage to the environment
with the incredible large plantings of pine which have now been going on
for many years.

We came apon this situation while providing teachers for Huai Maak Akha.

If anyone is interested to be an observer in an Akha village or to
assist in teaching while living in an Akha Village please contact me.

The cistern for the water supply for the Fish Hatchery and vegetable
project is not complete.
We are seeking funds for the concrete liner for this twelve meter deep
well, five meters across.

The fish tanks are built already.

We have been asked to submit one proposal for funds for our bamboo
forestry project and are asking for volunteer matching funds for this
project.

One Akha woman has a abdominal tumor, quite large, now drawing away her
weight and health, and needs surgery.  She has three children, 8 years,
6 and 13 months.  She is 32 years old and the condition is life
threatening.  Cost.  $700 when we have it.

We have begun our $1,000,000 Akha Assistance Fundraising campaign which
will support coffee grants to villages for planting coffee, tea,
macadamia, and forestry projects which protect the watershed.  Akha
publishing will also be boosted greatly, as will health and medical
services delivery into the villages of both Thailand and Burma.  This
includes funds for our new Hummer Akha ambulance which will be able to
haul incredible supplies and go into remote Akha village regions for
extended periods of time in any weather while able to bring out people
in need of surgery.  It will include sateline phone technology such that
we are not cut off from other villages while we are on the road which is
now the case.

As a possible reaction to our saving of Huuh Mah Akha, the Thai
government has now launched and Audit of all foreigners staying in North
Thailand for over a year.

We hope they enjoy themselves.

Since the Taiwanese missionaries based in Huai Krai are splitting Mae
Chan Akha they built a new wooden church a few days ago in the village
without seeking permission of the village headman or forestry or Army
and the Thai army is now investigating in regards to making new arrests
of the Christian Akha in that village for not having permits for the
land use and cutting of trees prior to construction which was pushed by
these missionaries.

Matthew McDaniel
Maesai



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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:

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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