Conservation Group Acts To Protect Forest In Songkhla

[sbk]

Conservation group acts to protect forest in Songkhla

Phadam forest in the Wangpa mountain range in Sadao district, encompassing more than 76,000 acres of land, used to be a stronghold of communist sympathisers in Thailand. 60 per cent of the forest area was destroyed after the communist fellows left the forest and surrendered. The government gave forest concession in 1982 and people moved in to the area, cutting trees to grow crops. Large forested areas were damaged.

In 2002, former communist sympathisers set up a community enterprise, offering agro and eco-tourism services and building a youth network to protect the forest. Nowadays they patrol the forest, reforest damaged areas, and negotiate with residents to stop further intrusion into forest land.

This man came for Phat-tha-lung. He said he claimed the land ten years ago and has grown fruit and rubber trees to earn a living.

He is one of several people being scrutinized and could be arrested for forest invasion, after Songkhla’s governor ordered the Royal Forest Department of Thailand to execute the National Reserve Forest Act, Article 25 to arrest new invaders, who moved into the area after June 30, 1998. For violators who entered before that date, investigations and the possible arrests would be made later.

In the point of view of the former communist sympathizers, who are now conservationists, they think the measure to arrest invasion violators won’t work. Officials should negotiate with these people and allow them to grow crops on the condition they help protect the forest and do not cut any trees.

“In some problem areas, we grow plants and villagers, who occupied the land or whom legal action was taken against, cut our trees,” said Anusorn Kerdkanno

Backpacker Club, Hatyai University.

“We’ll talk to villagers on how to work together to protect the water resource upstream. We’ll negotiate if they might move out or move from the area near the water resource and we’ll reforest the land,” Suthep Suwankrajang Songkhla Environment Conservation, Ago-tourism Service Community Enterprise.

The conservational activities of the former communist sympathizers over the past six years has encouraged agencies concerned to also act to preserve the Phadam forest. However, the rim of the forest has been encroached upon and needs urgent action by authorities.

Source: MCOT TNA English News

[geriatrickid]

So there is truth to the old saying about swords being beaten into ploughshares.

Sort of gives hope that even angry violent people can be good people and pillars of society.