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 !