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 ?