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.