Ownership...

Working with the IDPs sometimes bring some disappointments to us. This might be related to the term of ownership I guess.

It might be some misunderstandings about the ownership. When our IDPs friends face the constraints of living on land and water I think they should realize those are and their problems. So they should initiate to solve their problems. Then we support them and work together along the way. This should lead to sustainable solution under the particiaption of the IDPs hopefully.

Some IDPs friends do understand and work very actively for their communities. They discuss and set up some projects to solve their problems. Coordinate with local authorities for some cooperations and supports. So that all actors can play their roles throughout the process of wotking together based on the communities' need. No need to mention about "rights" as it is already "their rights", I belief.

However some do not understand this concept even we have tired to work together with them for some years. They keep doing nothing but waiting for helps from the outsiders. Some even put the blames on us when they face some problems. We were disppointed for such events.

I wondered how to dissemninate the idea of "ownership" to these friends. You might have some ideas to share.....

A crossroad....

There always be the time to choose which way to go at a crossroad. Which is the right way to the destination ?

I have found It is quite dificult to choose along my journey with the IDPs. Sometimes we see the facts and learn how the IDPs would like to do to solve their problems. The destination it just right in front of us. And the very simple reason is to fullfill the IDPs basic needs. But still we can never achieve.

Many time we have to choose between to fight for the right things or to follow what the authorities say. It is always painful to be quiet and let some unfair things happend. it is hopeless for us but more hopeless for the IDPs.

A crossroad may lead many people to their destinations. But we usually get lost and never know when our journey will end.
......A crossroad !

Protection from Displacement

I visited my IDPs friends in Sunchareun village. It is a case study of a protection from displacement.

As there are many restricttions in the Laws and regulations on land and forest, many ethnic highlander villages are likely to be relocated down. Sunchareun is one among them.

The village used to be an outstanding of forest reservation both at thelocal level and national level. But with the stream of "capitalism" and "development", a cash crop was introduced to the villgers. Maize plantation becomes a problem as the villagers have to open more and more land each year.

Then it is the time for the IDPs of Sunchareun to review the village situation. More proactive activities on forests reservations should be done and recorded as evedences. So that they may help when their turn to be relocated comes in the future.

Hope it is not too late to do so. But the GOs should also take good care of such development too.

National Parks and Human Dignity

Cutting down the trees under the national parks as a collective punishment in northern Thailand is now on the process. The trees are coffee and some other fruits which are the sources of yearly income of the ethnic highlanders. Some of them are the IDPs. This unjust event should be investigated by all social members.

We are now facing the global warming and asking for more green areas for our world. I belief that the ethnic highlanders who live in the forest do keep the forest well. There is no reason for them to destroy their food banks or natural supermarkets. Indeed, their local wisdoms contributed very actively to the living together between human and nature. They do the shifting cultivations and sustainable farming systems which are friendly to the nature.

Then human dignity is taltally ignored when concerned only the laws. Some forestry laws lead to the difficulties of living for the ethnic highlanders too. The important thing which we should accept is that the forests are usually protected well by the people who are living in the forests.

Shall we look beyond the laws and consider more about human dignity ? So we can live together in this beautiful side of the world happily and peacefully !

Bad news... sad news!

The IDPs are usually vulnerable and their rights need to be protected. But it was informed that the coffee trees and orchards of some villagers in Wang Mai Village were totally cut down yesterday. The local government officers declared that the coffee plantation and the orchards are located under the Mae Mao National Park. This was a bad and sad news of the day !

Doi Luang National Park is the former homes of these IDPs. They still keep geeting back to do cultivation at the former home according to the poor soil, lacking water and sources of income at the new homes. The coffee and orchard are the main source of their yearly income. But now there is nothing left and life seems to be harder than ever.

I wonder why the national mechanisms did not react actively to the situation. Even the villagers tried to coordinate and ask for help to some organizations, it was hopeless. More or less, they let the tragedy happen !

Only some friends from NGOs reacted to the situation. and there will be more to do against this unfair event. However more actors, especially the responsible authorities should work more actively and effectively.

Water ...Water !

There were attempts to solve the lacking of water at Huai Wad during the last few months. A few friends from far had kindly contributed to the Lahu of Huai Wad very actively. They shared relevant documents, ideas and experiences. Some even visited and spent time at the village too. To say thank you to them is not enough, I think.

To have sustainable solutions at Huai Wad need more actors. We have encouraged the villagers, especially the leaders to work harder but the local officers should also play more active roles.

Water is very essential for our living and also for the Lahu of Huai Wad. We may be lucky to have enough water to drink and consume. Unfortunately, it does not happen at Huai Wad.

Then I am very sad whenever I hear the Lahu friends sigh "Water..Water !"

Documented as a chance !

I met some undocumented students again this afternoon. They looked happy and hopeful.

As the contents of Article 23 in Nationality act provide the chance to submit and preocess for Thai Natinality, some have proceeded to the application and one of the students was documented as Thai citizen recently.

I got many forwarded mails about the acts and other related information and shared it with the students during the past few weeks. My NGOs friends also worked very actively on the issue.

It is noticeable that the success of being documented mostly based on civil society movement. The NGOs networking, academicians and mass medias play very important roles on implementation of the acts. They keep monitoring and evaluation and send a legal opionion notice to the district offices that ignore the application. Then the Department of Local Administration commands the local officers to work more actively.

The chance to be documented is very meaningfu for the students. I am sure that they are going to play important roles for the development of their communities in the future. I hope they can access to the application process and be recognized as aThai.

Allergic.. Allergic !

I have been working at a highland agricultural center for three days. When I had free time I roamed around the place. It was a nice place with beautiful flowers, orchards, and many birds.

Unfortunately, my legs got allergic from some toxic plants. When I got back home my legs were itchy and red. I went to a doctor. I got some medicines and a small pot of cream. The medicines were good but their side effects made me sleepy and inactive.

I had to work in an IDPs village last Sunday. Before I go to the village, the doctor told me to take the medicines regulary and immediately after the meals. He also told me better not to go walking in the jungle.

There was a survey of hill water system at the village and I had to work out with my IDPs friends. Unintentionally I broke all the doctor's rules. I forgot to take the medicines, walked along a stream and through the jungles.

So my legs got allergic again !

Undocumented ...Unhappy

I met some undocumented students this afternoon. They looked unhappy and worried. They reflected that being undocument, they face many difficullties in living and studying.

Being undocumented leads to limitations to access basic human rights especially rights to travel, and rights to health.

Even they can access rights to education, the undocumented students can not access the scholarships. The discrimination has degraded them.

To cope up with the problems, they had set up a club to work together and learnt about nationalty laws, acts and regulations. They though it would be helpful to prove the Thai nationality.

In reality, they found that there was no implementations of the laws, acts and regulations they have learnt. The local officers keep refusing to take their applications of nationality proof. They then were confused what to do.

The ignorance of local officers becomes the critical point of policy implementation. This do happen everywhere.

Then being undocumented means being unhappy !

Protest Again !!

The rice farmers started their protest against the government again. The former protest was over when the government agreed to intervene a resonable price of their rice yield. However there were no mechanisms to implement the agreement seriously. The middlemen rejected to buy their rice yields at the price agreed. So the suffered rice farmers had to protest for the justice.

The protest became more serious. More roads are closed. Transportations from the city to other towns and provinces also stopped. Many people are suffered from this event and some blamed the rice farmers.

I did not agree to blamed the rice farmers. Since they are farmers, they have earned from growing rice for generations. The small farmers may not be able to join the farmer associations/ cooperations and it is the government's responsibility to take good care of them. Information and appropriate technologies should be introduced to the farmer throughout the the production system, postharvest management and marketting.

This is only a daydream ! Then the rice farmers protests still exist and needed the solutions urgently.

Cash Crop !!

I have been to some IDPs villages during the weekend. Noticed vast plantation areas of maize along the way. Forests were destroyed for maize plantation.

Maize is a cash crop introduced by development agencies. The farmers adopted it as the cropping takes a short time to get money.

However maize needs more area, more fertilizers and more pesticides to get high yields. So the farmers have to invest more each year and some are in depts.

"Cash crops" then may lead to "Crash farmers" and "Crash Communities".

Protests !

As the price of milled rice is increasing during these days. Some may think that the farmers earn more from the high price. But in reality, the farmers get very low price for their rice yield. They earn less than they invest and they are in debt. It is the midlemen who get rich from the high price !

So there are protests of the rice farmers along the roads and the transportations have to stop. The farmers ask the government to intervene the price of their rice yield.

This situation happens every year, but this year is more serious than before. the farmers do not suffered from getting low price only for the rice yield, but also for other crops. They also have the same faith for their lychee, onion and garlic.

How to cope up with the problems ?

Raining and the IDPs

It was raining during my visit to some IDPs villages. The IDPs were happy with the rain and things were all green.

I then asked them "Should we have only rainy season ?" They smiled and said "No, should not". Then again, I asked "Why?" They said "We should have all seasons. We have to past the drought of summer so that we can enjoy the rain. We also have to past the flood of rainy season to greet the winter too". That is the life circle and we learnt how to live so do our children."

I realize that with their local wisdoms, the IDPs know how to live with other people, nature and super nature in sustainable ways.

With new surroundings at their new homes, I hope their local wisdoms will be applied for their living too. Even the living standard at the new homes may not be as good as the former homes, but I do hope !

Good or bad hard to say...

As many people wish for the rain during the hot and sunny days, it has been raining in Chiangrai for a few days. People are now enjoying the cool and breezy weather after the rain.

This changing weather makes me sick. I catch a bad cold. So I do not enjoy the beautiful and lively surroundings around me.

The rain makes many people happy. On the other hand, it makes many people sick. Then I asked an old man who lives next door "Is it good or bad to have the rain in summer?" He smiled and said "Good or bad hard to say..."

I get the answer. So what about you ?

Summer and a call from IDPs village

The weather is getting hot and hotter during these days. So water falls, rivers, canals and swimming pools are the favorate places of everyone. We are waiting for the greeting of rainy season impatiently.

We got a call from an IDPs village. Got to know that some villagers at Wang Mai village can not go back to harvest coffee at their former homes.

As coffee plantation areas are located under Doi Luang National Park, there is a restriction on resources utilizations in the park. The villagers are worried because coffee is their source of income.

Indeed we do have to investigate more about this issue. However I would like to know that "What should be more important between survival of the IDPs and the laws ?" "How can we solve this problem ?" " Whether it is interesting to look beyond the laws for sometimes?

Summer and the Changing World

Early this morning the Thai people do merit at the temples. It is a part of Songkran Festival Celebration. Beside offering foods to the monks, we also donate in memory of our beloved people who pass away. I join this traditional practice at a temple in my village. Notice that there are more elderly people than the teenager. This is very different from my childhood.

When I was young, I had to wake up very early, help my mom prepare things, and go to the temple. My brothers, sisters and friends also had to do the same. Then both the elderly and younger people were together at our village's temple. Mom told me that to join the traditional practices is to learn and keep our traditional way of life. So my friends and I were happy to join the elderly and the practices, even we were quite sleepy.

The world is changing as well as our commutities and societies. How to cope up with the changes when we do not realize who we are !

Summer and Water Festival

April 13 is a very important day. It is "Songkran Day" or the Thai Traditional New Year Day.

It is also recognized as a "Family Day" as it is the time that all family members will be back home and spend time together. The youngers usually express their respects to the olders by pouring scented water onto their hands. Then the olders wish good luck to the youngers.

We also celebreate the Songkran Festival in Chiangrai. Do merits at the temple, clean up our houses and the community temple, carry bowls of sand to the temple. After the traditional ceremony, we splash water to each other joyfully. Such a good and happy time !

Water festival brings such the spirit of being a member of the families, communities and societies. The valuable time to share, enjoy, and respect each other. Wish this spirit remained in everyone' mind everyday even after the Songkran Day.

Summer Breaks

Today is the last day for my official working at the college. This is the summer breaks for all teachers here. We will have a break for a month.

We spend summer breaks in many ways. Some of my friends stay at home and relax, some keep working, and some plan to take many trips.

For me I hope to spend more time with the IDPs project. We are preparing medias on Internal Displacement. We hope that to communicate more with the public , there will be more awareness on the IDPs issue.

Summer break is also the time to review what I have done in the past and what should be done next. As today is passing by and tomorrow is coming. Lessons and experiences learnt from today is valuable for tomorrow. This summer will also pass by and the next summer will bring new things. Life is an endless learning process and summer break is a part of it.

Summer Rain

It rained in Chiangrai yesterday evening. Today everything becomes fresh and lively again after the dim weather. The trees and flowers in my little garden, the singing birds, and the blue sky make today a nice day.

My farmer friends should also be happy with the rain . They are growing rice, bean, and some fruits. They have complained a lot about the drought. Even one raining can not bring back all things, but it is better than no raining.

Summer always be the most joyful season when I was young. It was the time to play with friends , no class and no homework. I spent everyday wandering around the jungles near my village, picking up the abundant local fruits, playing seek and hide game, and swimming in a small canal with my gang.

Summer in these days may not be as joyful as in the younger days. However we have to enjoy it and past all the difficulties so that we can greet the next summer again !

Summer Forests

It is now summer in Chiangrai. It becomes warmer, hot and then hotter. During my travelling to Chiangkong District, I see the summer forests along the way. Look like paintings of some famous artists. The natural colours of red, brown, white, pink, blue, purple,yellow and orange decorate the hilly areas. Such a beautiful scenery !

This really reminds me of the IDPs villages, especially the Lahu village at Huai Wad, and the Lisu village of Huai Ja Kan. Though I have not been to the villages for several months, I can imagine how hard they live their lives under the summer forests. The very hot and dry places, lack of water and poor soil condition. How many people may know that such beautiful summer forests are very crucial for the survival of the IDPs.

How to cope up with the problems ? Some said that the IDPs have to be self relianced before asking for helps. For me this is such a romantic term. The basic needs of the IDPs have to be fullfilled before they can be self relianced. Hope they can survive from the crucial summer forests and then enjoy the greeting of rainy forests some days soon !