December 19, 2000
WECARE Tribal truths Forest communities in the North are working together to realise their constitutional rights. Sanitsuda Ekachai The greenery around forest communities is clear proof of forest communities' conservation culture. Mention hilltribe people and most Thais will immediately think of slash-and-burn cultivation, forest destruction and drug trafficking. That wearies Joni Odashao, 55, a Thai-Karen elder and one of Thailand's most outspoken grassroots leaders. "The stereotypes come from school textbooks and the media," he said. "As long as this portrayal continues, there's little hope for our struggle to secure rights to stay on our ancestral land." Like most hilltribe communities in the mountainous North, Baan Nong Tao, Joni's ancestral village in Chiang Mai, is subject to land insecurity and eviction threats by forest officials because the laws do not allow any human settlements in the forests. Forest-dwellers argue that their communities are often older than the forestry laws and the greenery around their communities is clear proof of their forest conservation culture. But the Forestry Department insists on evicting forest-dwellers. The forestry law has outlawed about 1.2 million small-farm families across the country. Although poor farmers also suffer the stereotype of forest encroachers, the tribal peasants are on the lowest rung because ethnic minorities are considered aliens, thus having no rights to stay in the eye of state authorities. Such draconian laws, argue the villagers, do not respect the localities' diverse topographies and cultures. In the mountainous North, communities are often nestled in valleys between green mountains and their way of life is closely linked to the forests. "Northern farmers have developed water management systems such as small-scale dykes to draw and share water from the hills. Their land and forest management is also eco-friendly," explained Chatchawan Thongdeelert, a veteran development worker and an expert on Northern folk culture. The hill people who live higher up the mountains have also developed their own land, forest and water systems which keep nature intact over time, he said. These practices are governed by religious beliefs which help keep people in check, he added. Religious rites and rituals play an important role in forest conservation. A Chiang Mai university research project undertaken in 1995 found that there are over 288 communities in the North which have successfully safeguarded their forests through local beliefs, traditional land use systems and regular forest patrols against poachers and illegal loggers. More often than not, the villagers found that their main threat stemmed from state authorities. "We don't understand why the government wants to evict us, but keep on giving concessions to mining or rock-blasting businesses which destroy nature and our livelihoods," said Musoh Sanohtongprai of Baan Kapu village, Chiang Mai. During the economic boom, the villagers lost much of their public graze land and community forests to land speculators, through corruption among officials. Facing the common threats of forced evictions, state concessions and land speculators, a group of lowland rice farmers and ethnic highlanders formed a network of forest communities to protect their land rights and their environment. In 1996, the group set up the Community Forests Support Group, or Kong Tun Chumchon Rak Pah in Thai, to raise funds because their local conservation activities get no support from the authorities. The villagers use the funds to beef up their forest patrolling, to prevent forest fires, to plant trees and to hold religious activities such as tree ordination ceremonies to protect the forests and strengthen community unity. Funds are also used to support the villagers' efforts to campaign for legal amendments to allow for community rights in forest management. "But it is an uphill task because the public is still prejudiced against the poor," said Joni, weariness evident on his wrinkled, sun-drenched face. The group's hard work to campaign for a community forest bill is a case in point. After 15 years of campaigning with support from academics and environmentalists, the Forestry Department finally adopted, though reluctantly, the concept of community forests, which allow the locals to manage forests in their vicinities. But when the people-sponsored version of the community forest bill entered the legislative process, it was taken over by the state-sponsored bill which still gives the Forestry Department ultimate authority to evict forest dwellers. Joni Odashao: "The struggle is twofold: how to return cultural self-confidence to the hilltribe children and how to make the general public understand the hilltribe way of life." When forest villagers in the North rallied in Chiang Mai to voice their concerns last year, ministers and provincial authorities attacked the hilltribes as aliens with no rights to reside on Thai soil. The clampdown nearly led to violent confrontations. And now, as before, the forced eviction of ethnic minorities who live mostly in forests still continues with public indifference. "Because we are portrayed as forest destroyers," said Joni. Even hilltribe children begin to see themselves that way. "The school textbooks describe us in ways which make us feel bad about ourselves," said Permpool Pino, 25, of Baan On Nai, Chiang Mai. Joni's struggle is twofold; how to return cultural self-confidence to the hilltribe children and how to make the general public understand the hilltribe way of life. "The mainstream education system and the media are stealing our children away from us," said Joni. To fight back, Joni initiated a new programme at his village school by inviting village elders to speak with the children about village folklore, traditional rituals, religious beliefs and farm practices which reflect the hilltribe peoples' respect for nature. "Our children are facing two worlds," said Joni, referring to modern city values and the hill people's traditions. "We parents must help build them a strong bridge so they can go back and forth safely between these two worlds," he said. After four years, the Baan Nong Tao School has attracted many educators who want to learn about the school's experiment and to initiate a similar programme elsewhere. The Community Forests Support Group, meanwhile, produces its own media which includes newsletters, books and music tapes to tackle public preconceptions and prejudices against hilltribe people. The group also invites Thailand's top artists to visit forest communities. The paintings from the trips are sold to raise funds for forest conservation activities. "The public needs to see and hear another side," said Rojarek Watanapanich, co-ordinator of the Community Forests Support Group. "But information alone is often not enough to change attitudes. Art is a powerful medium. So is personal experience." Every year the group takes city residents to visit forest communities, hoping that their first-hand experience will make them understand the hill people better. When the group took on a massive challenge by ordaining 50 million trees to celebrate the 50th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne in 1996, city people were also invited to join their ceremonies. Such trips, sa Rojarek, prove rare oppor tunities for the urban mdle class to visit the hill peoples' villages and learn about their farm rotation system which is often misunderstood as slash-and-burn cultivation. ``The trips enable disparate groups to meet and talk as friends. For a change, city people will have a chance to listen to the hill people's se of the story instead of passing swift judgements,'' she added. Winning new friends, the Community Forests Support Group has more than 2,000 members nationwe. It's a small, gradual step in the right direction. ``But we still have a long way to go,'' sa Joni. ``It'll help a lot if the media understand the poor's problems and how public policies and prejudices hurt us.'' Permpol, a Thai-Karen youth who is working as a volunteer for the Community Forests Sup port Group, believes change might happen faster if younger generations have a better understand ing. ``The city children still see us as foolish hill- billies and call us names which hurt us so,'' he sa. ``But if ks from both ses have a chance to meet and do activities together, friendship will come out of it.'' A lack of funds makes Permpol's wishes diffi cult to realise. ``It's frustrating that there are so many, many things to do but the poor have so few resources,'' sa Rojarek. Not in terms of resourcefulness, however. Joni sa: ``We still have a lot to share.'' City wealth, he sa, is maintained by vast destruction of nature which creates suffering for the majority. And despite the wealth, the handful of very rich people are not happier, because they can no longer see how they are connected with others and nature, leading to painful alienation and emptiness within. ``The poor like us still live close to nature. Our culture shows how crucial respect for culture is for our own survival. And how simple it is to happy. ``People the world over are searching for this key to survival and happiness. We have a lot to share _ that is, if society is willing to listen and stop seeing us as the insignificant `other'.'' ``We care'' is a fortnightly series honouring people who believe in giving. In addition to supporting these causes, you can let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can make more people aware of their efforts. Fax ``We care'' on 240-3668 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or Email can be sent to sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net. 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