Bid to draw public attention to disaster
By Apinya Wipatayotin
The plight of ethnic Karens affected by lead poisoning in Kanchanaburi province's Klity village is now being shown in pictures taken by an amateur photographer, hoping to use his photo exhibition to draw the public's attention to the long-standing environmental disaster. Aphiluck Puangkaew had known about the suffering of Klity villagers, who became victims of lead contamination linked to the release of lead-tainted discharge by a mining operator into Klity creek in Thong Pha Phum district for years.
He eventually decided to visit the village and take a first-hand look at the situation earlier this year.
He spent only two days photographing the living conditions of people in the lead-contaminated village. A good number of portraits show villagers afflicted with mental illnesses possibly caused by lead poisoning.
Inspired by American photojournalist Eugene Smith's photographs of people affected by the Minamata disease caused by the release of methyl mercury in Japan in the 1960s, Mr Aphiluck decided to bring 23 black and white photos before the public in his exhibition entitled ''In the same current''.
''[Eugene Smith's] Minamata photos encouraged me to learn more about the environmental and health impact from heavy metals,'' said Mr Aphiluck.
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| Tawatchai Vichapaibool, a seven-year-old ethnic Karen, looks at a photo of his feet with extra toes at an exhibition depicting the illnesses suffered by villagers living near the lead-contaminated Klity creek in Kanchanaburi. Tawatchai has an extra finger on both hands and extra toes on his feet possibly due to a genetic disorder caused by lead poisoning. Sarot Meksophawannakul. — SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL |
Father's hope was his favourite piece, he said, referring to a photo of a Karen man holding his son, who suffered from retarded brain development possibly brought on by lead poisoning. The boy cannot study in a normal school and has been sent to a school for the disabled.
''You can see the hopelessness in his father's eyes, in contrast to the joy and happiness in the boy's eyes,'' said Mr Aphiluck.
Tears and chains is another photo that clearly tells the story of Klity villagers.
It is a photo of a 17-year-old boy with a retarded brain who has no control over his actions, so his parents chain him to prevent him from hurting himself.
''The challenge is not about the photographing techniques, but how to match art with the environment. I hope my work will draw the public's attention to this neglected community,'' said the freelance photographer.
He said environmental cases such as the Klity creek incident should be included in school curriculums to raise environmental awareness among Thai youth.
Yuthana Nasuanborisooth, a 13-year-old Karen boy from Klity village, who attended yesterday's opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, said he was happy to see the photos of his village on show in the capital.
He was glad to see people pay attention to what was happening in Klity village.
The boy, who also has a high level of lead in his blood according to a recent blood test by health officials, said the lead-contamination problem still existed in his village, but no officials had come to help the unfortunate villagers.
''I love my village although it is full of dangerous lead. I love my birthplace, and I have no plan to relocate,'' he said.
The two-week-long exhibition is being held at the TK Park, on the eighth floor of CentralWorld Department Store until Aug 15.
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