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 !