Thailand: Prominent activist feared 'disappeared'

[webfact]

Thailand: Prominent Activist Feared ‘Disappeared’
Urgently Produce Information on Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen

(New York) – The Thai authorities should urgently provide information about a prominent ethnic Karen activist who is believed to have been forcibly disappeared, Human Rights Watch said today. Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, known as “Billy,” was reportedly arrested on April 17, 2014, in Kaengkrachan National Park in Petchaburi province and released, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

Local authorities have not disclosed either Billy’s detention or any evidence of his release, raising grave concerns of his safety, Human Rights Watch said. Billy was involved in a lawsuit against park officials.

“The apparent disappearance of this prominent Karen activist demands an immediate government response,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Thai authorities should not stay silent about Billy’s case but explain what happened to him.”

The head of the Kaengkrachan National Park Office, Chaiwat Limlikitaksor, told local activists on April 18 that Billy had been detained at a checkpoint the previous afternoon. He said Billy was taken for questioning regarding an unlawful wild bee honeycomb and six bottles of honey allegedly found in his possession. Chaiwat also said Billy had been released after questioning and that he had no information regarding his whereabouts.

Full story: http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/20/thailand-prominent-activist-feared-disappeared

-- Human Rights Watch 2014-04-21

[Ricardo]

Arrested for collecting wild honey ? It's now a crime ?

That's bad news for the wild-honey sales-ladies down in Pattaya !

Hope the missing activist shows up shortly.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Ricardo

[HeavyDrinker]

That's bad news for the wild-honey sales-ladies down in Pattaya

That crap isn't honey...

[canopy]

Arrested for collecting wild honey ? It's now a crime ?

And why not? Taking anything from a national forest is surely a crime. These checkpoints are there to help protect the forests and in this instance appear to be doing their job and I applaud them for it. Why he is labeled as an activist is a mystery. He has just been caught red handed plundering the forest rather than respecting it. His lawsuit sounds ludicrous and more of the same--he and others illegally built houses inside the national forest boundary and are upset because it was not tolerated.

[CelticBhoy]

" Billy was taken for questioning regarding an unlawful wild bee honeycomb . . . "

They caught him. I bet you is was part of a sting.

[stickylies]

this guy lives in the tennasserim mountains in KK national park, there are still plenty of Karens there (also on Burmese side)... it's "their" land and they have the right to live there (very remote btw, bothering nodody and being selfsufficient). everybody with a little knowledge about thailand knows what goes on in KK national park. illegal logging, illegal poaching, etc. and officials close their eyes in return for cash ....

plenty of info on www, eg.

http://www.forestpeoples.org/topics/rights-land-natural-resources/news/2012/01/karen-people-forcibly-expelled-kaeng-krachan-natio

http://indigenousissuesinasia.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/un-committee-expresses-concern-about-violence-against-karen-people-in-thailands-kaeng-krachan-national-park/

[skorchio]

Arrested for collecting wild honey ? It's now a crime ?

And why not? Taking anything from a national forest is surely a crime. These checkpoints are there to help protect the forests and in this instance appear to be doing their job and I applaud them for it. Why he is labeled as an activist is a mystery. He has just been caught red handed plundering the forest rather than respecting it. His lawsuit sounds ludicrous and more of the same--he and others illegally built houses inside the national forest boundary and are upset because it was not tolerated.

Building in parks is a national sport in Thailand. Did you know the Karen have roamed those northern lands long before there were borders, national parks and even governments? And as for plundering the forest, these are people OF the forest. They have lived in it for thousands of years. I trust their guardianship of it more than that of anyone else. Did they <deleted> it up in the thousands of years they have been living there? no, they did not. That is only recent business ....

[Bkungbank]

Law should be allow locals to collect forest product for own used not for industry, wild honey should allow for local to consume but behind are illegal logger which may have destroy should not allow .

[ggt]

Billy was involved in a lawsuit against park officials.

There's your sign...lawsuit dismissed...

[soalbundy]

Billy was involved in a lawsuit against park officials.

There's your sign...lawsuit dismissed...

One thing is sure,he wasn't released,at least not the way he wanted to be. I'm pretty sure he isn't at the social security office. Try looking in a ditch around the rice fields.

[winstonc]

Billy was involved in a lawsuit against park officials.

There's your sign...lawsuit dismissed...

i know didnt take a lot of working out sir did it.. maybe a re-read by some of our learned punters on here first..

[Lupatria]

Arrested for collecting wild honey ? It's now a crime ?

And why not? Taking anything from a national forest is surely a crime. These checkpoints are there to help protect the forests and in this instance appear to be doing their job and I applaud them for it. Why he is labeled as an activist is a mystery. He has just been caught red handed plundering the forest rather than respecting it. His lawsuit sounds ludicrous and more of the same--he and others illegally built houses inside the national forest boundary and are upset because it was not tolerated.

Would be interesting to hear from you where else these unwanted people could live in peace.

And what is your solution on how to handle the truckloads of chopped trees leaving the protected forests constantly?

Are we talking about breaking the law in a 1st and 2nd class manner now?

Tree hugging or collecting honey to make a living, are one thing. Defiance of human rights, the greed and corruption behind the plundering of these forests are a little different I guess. Think about it.

[Ricardo]

That's bad news for the wild-honey sales-ladies down in Pattaya

That crap isn't honey...

Agreed, so perhaps they're doing something illegal, unlike the kareni activist ?

[canopy]

Would be interesting to hear from you where else these unwanted people could live in peace.

I am glad you asked. I have lived in the mountains among hill tribe people for years and am next to a national forest so I think I can give a glimpse of the realities. In my area hill tribes were given an enormous amount of pristine land and they have villages here and there of which the government continually adds infrastructure for them like paved roads. However it's impossible not to notice they poison and burn all of their land which also pollutes the sky--no exceptions horizon to horizon. And they keep doing this perpetually every single year. Where once were forests are now totally ruined lands of weeds. Only a lone, charred tree here or there is left suffering. The ground is dead and not even worms live there. A hill tribe gentleman doing some gardening work for me just the other day commented that I should be poisoning the ground rather paying hill tribe people to pull weeds by hand and that I should burn my land completely which to the contrary I am making into a wildlife sanctuary of which I have seen pythons, deer, civets, small leopards, and all sorts of cool things of which I wouldn't dare show them photos or mention to them. And he probably doesn't know after they leave I carefully pick up every cigarette butt and plastic trash item they throw on my land.

I don't think badly of them, just accept this is who they are and this is their way. They don't have a concept of loving or nurturing a forest. So they go right into clearly marked national forests because they ruined all the lands given to them. Thailand desperately needs areas that are protected from this otherwise they will hunt everything down including all the endangered species, chop down the trees, and take everything of value down to the last orchid. I see it everyday. And it is ironic that even this so-called "prominent activist" seemed solely set on exploiting national forests for his and his buddies personal benefit rather than wanting to protect the forest. National forests belong to all the Thai people and should not be exploited by a few who will just repeat a cycle of destruction. You've just got to draw the line somewhere or it will be all gone.

As far as the honey, yes I too see all the time what is sold is just brown sugar water labeled as honey. Now in his case it says he was caught in possession of "unlawful wild bee honeycomb". That's bad form to go into a national forest with an intent to break the law, but totally consistent with what I see these people doing on a daily basis.

[webfact]

Environmental Activist and Key Court Witness 'Disappears'

By Khaosod English


Porchalee Rakchongcharoen with his family.

BANGKOK — An environmental activist and key witness in a court case against the director of Kaeng Krachan Park has disappeared, his family says.

Porchalee Rakchongcharoen, an ethnic Karen also known as "Billy," is involved in a lawsuit that accuses Kaeng Krachan Park authorities of damaging the property and homes of more than 20 Karen families living inside the park. Mr. Porchalee is also a central witness for a separate lawsuit investigating the park director's involvement in the murder of another environmental activist in 2011.

Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, the director of Kaen Krachan Park, said Mr. Porchalee was detained at a checkpoint and taken for questioning on 17 April because of illegal honey found in his possession.

Mr. Chaiwat said Mr. Porchalee was released after the questioning, but he has been missing ever since.

On 19 April, Mr. Porchalee’s family filed a complaint with local police alleging that he was forcibly "disappeared."

Police have yet to release any information on Mr. Porchalee’s whereabouts.

“We are pressing Thai authorities to break this silence and come up with basic information about what they have done so far and what they are preparing to do,” said Sunai Phasu, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Porchalee was en route to meet with Karen villagers in Petchaburi province to prepare for an upcoming court hearing on the lawsuit filed by villagers against park authorities last year. The lawsuit alleged that in July 2011, Kaeng Krachan park officials destroyed the property and homes of more than 20 families living in the national park.

Distraught by Mr. Porlachee's disappearance, residents of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan National Park submitted letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Lawyers Council of Thailand, seeking their assistance to redress their concern about Mr. Porlachee's safety.

Mr. Krathong Cheebung, a leader of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan, said he was supposed to meet Mr. Porlachee at his house in Kaeng Krachan on 17 April, but the man never showed up.

Mr. Krathong said he phoned Mr. Porlachee's brother and learned that Mr. Porlachee left his residence in Bang Kloi village at 1 p.m. that day, taking six bottles of honey with him as a gift.

"I asked his wife and his friends, but no one ever saw him again," Mr. Krathong said.

Another resident, Wut Boonlert, said Mr. Porlachee had also been drafting a royal petition for His Majesty the King, in order to inform him of the alleged persecution of the Karen people at the hands of park officials.

According to Mr. Wut, the petition details the series of violent acts committed by park officials, such as the burning of houses and barns, arrests, and forceful removal of the villagers from their homes.

The petition drafted by Mr. Porlachee also asks the Thai authorities to formally set up residential zones for the Karens to live in peace. "That way we won't have to starve and suffer," Mr. Wut said, "[These days] we are scattered in the forest like barbarians."

It is not immediately clear whether the petition has ever been submitted to the palace bureau.

Mr. Surapong Kongchantuek, a leading member of the NHRC, told Khaosod that the Commission will be following the case closely, and that Mr. Porlachee's disappearance will likely frighten other witnesses in the lawsuit against the park office.

Park chief Mr. Chaiwat, who purportedly detained and then released Mr. Porchalee, is also under criminal investigation for allegedly masterminding the murder of Tatkamol Ob-om, a Thai activist from Mr. Porchalee’s network who was shot and killed in September 2011.

Mr. Surapong said he is concerned that Mr. Chaiwat continues to act as the head of the park despite bureaucratic regulations that require officials who are facing serious court allegations to be suspended from their duties.

“Enforced disappearance” is not recognized as a criminal offense in Thailand’s penal code.

The Thai government signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in January 2012, but the treaty has yet to be ratified by parliament.

“Because there is no legal definition of enforced disappearance in Thai law, it has become a convenient exit for criminals when a body cannot be found,” said Mr. Sunai. “If there is no body, they cannot be charged of murder.”

According to Human Rights Watch, Thai authorities have failed to prioritize solving any of the 63 known cases of enforced disappearance.

Thailand is the second most dangerous Asian country for environmental activists, ranking second to the Philippines for the highest number of extralegal killings of environmental activists in the past decade.

Since 2002, 16 environmental activists in Thailand have been killed extra legally, Global Witness reports.

Mr. Porlachee's family said they will submit a letter detailing their grievance to the Governor of Petchaburi province later today.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1398066699


-- Khaosod English 2014-04-21

[Morch]

Mountain people always made a living out of their environment.

Modernization lead to some of their old ways being irrelevant or not economically viable, thus leading to environment's abuse.

Some folk go for conservation of environment , some for making the most profit out of it.

Hard to judge them, as these people do not always have that many options in life.

Education and slow adjustment are probably the answers, but take a long term approach and a will to carry them out.

Honey collecting may be illegal, but in comparison to logging, poaching and illegal building is a minor issue.

Side note 1: We do enjoy the odd (real) wild honey when we can get it, harder to come by, though.

Side note 2: Totally inappropriate, but now stuck with this in my head.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqfIKqW2ZPo

[WoopyDoo]

Would be interesting to hear from you where else these unwanted people could live in peace.

I am glad you asked. I have lived in the mountains among hill tribe people for years and am next to a national forest so I think I can give a glimpse of the realities. In my area hill tribes were given an enormous amount of pristine land and they have villages here and there of which the government continually adds infrastructure for them like paved roads. However it's impossible not to notice they poison and burn all of their land which also pollutes the sky--no exceptions horizon to horizon. And they keep doing this perpetually every single year. Where once were forests are now totally ruined lands of weeds. Only a lone, charred tree here or there is left suffering. The ground is dead and not even worms live there. A hill tribe gentleman doing some gardening work for me just the other day commented that I should be poisoning the ground rather paying hill tribe people to pull weeds by hand and that I should burn my land completely which to the contrary I am making into a wildlife sanctuary of which I have seen pythons, deer, civets, small leopards, and all sorts of cool things of which I wouldn't dare show them photos or mention to them. And he probably doesn't know after they leave I carefully pick up every cigarette butt and plastic trash item they throw on my land.

I don't think badly of them, just accept this is who they are and this is their way. They don't have a concept of loving or nurturing a forest. So they go right into clearly marked national forests because they ruined all the lands given to them. Thailand desperately needs areas that are protected from this otherwise they will hunt everything down including all the endangered species, chop down the trees, and take everything of value down to the last orchid. I see it everyday. And it is ironic that even this so-called "prominent activist" seemed solely set on exploiting national forests for his and his buddies personal benefit rather than wanting to protect the forest. National forests belong to all the Thai people and should not be exploited by a few who will just repeat a cycle of destruction. You've just got to draw the line somewhere or it will be all gone.

As far as the honey, yes I too see all the time what is sold is just brown sugar water labeled as honey. Now in his case it says he was caught in possession of "unlawful wild bee honeycomb". That's bad form to go into a national forest with an intent to break the law, but totally consistent with what I see these people doing on a daily basis.

I guess what you are saying is that his removal from the planet is justified then?

[khunken]

Would be interesting to hear from you where else these unwanted people could live in peace.

I am glad you asked. I have lived in the mountains among hill tribe people for years and am next to a national forest so I think I can give a glimpse of the realities. In my area hill tribes were given an enormous amount of pristine land and they have villages here and there of which the government continually adds infrastructure for them like paved roads. However it's impossible not to notice they poison and burn all of their land which also pollutes the sky--no exceptions horizon to horizon. And they keep doing this perpetually every single year. Where once were forests are now totally ruined lands of weeds. Only a lone, charred tree here or there is left suffering. The ground is dead and not even worms live there. A hill tribe gentleman doing some gardening work for me just the other day commented that I should be poisoning the ground rather paying hill tribe people to pull weeds by hand and that I should burn my land completely which to the contrary I am making into a wildlife sanctuary of which I have seen pythons, deer, civets, small leopards, and all sorts of cool things of which I wouldn't dare show them photos or mention to them. And he probably doesn't know after they leave I carefully pick up every cigarette butt and plastic trash item they throw on my land.

I don't think badly of them, just accept this is who they are and this is their way. They don't have a concept of loving or nurturing a forest. So they go right into clearly marked national forests because they ruined all the lands given to them. Thailand desperately needs areas that are protected from this otherwise they will hunt everything down including all the endangered species, chop down the trees, and take everything of value down to the last orchid. I see it everyday. And it is ironic that even this so-called "prominent activist" seemed solely set on exploiting national forests for his and his buddies personal benefit rather than wanting to protect the forest. National forests belong to all the Thai people and should not be exploited by a few who will just repeat a cycle of destruction. You've just got to draw the line somewhere or it will be all gone.

As far as the honey, yes I too see all the time what is sold is just brown sugar water labeled as honey. Now in his case it says he was caught in possession of "unlawful wild bee honeycomb". That's bad form to go into a national forest with an intent to break the law, but totally consistent with what I see these people doing on a daily basis.

I guess what you are saying is that his removal from the planet is justified then?

Yes, an apparent justification of elimination of 'unlawful' forest dwellers.

There are two sides to the rape of forests in Thailand. What the one-sided piece above doesn't mention is the logging, wildlife killing (sometimes just for 'sport'), illegal building of resorts and housing estates - all by 'influential people' (police, army, mafia) who use the likes of the Karen as porters, navvies, and hired guns to assist the hi-sos. Added to that are corrupt forest chiefs who allow and even partake in the destruction within their supposed area of care.

The question is who does the most damage to the forests? IMO it is the untouchable godfathers by far.

[NeilSA1]

Would be interesting to hear from you where else these unwanted people could live in peace.

I am glad you asked. I have lived in the mountains among hill tribe people for years and am next to a national forest so I think I can give a glimpse of the realities. In my area hill tribes were given an enormous amount of pristine land and they have villages here and there of which the government continually adds infrastructure for them like paved roads. However it's impossible not to notice they poison and burn all of their land which also pollutes the sky--no exceptions horizon to horizon. And they keep doing this perpetually every single year. Where once were forests are now totally ruined lands of weeds. Only a lone, charred tree here or there is left suffering. The ground is dead and not even worms live there. A hill tribe gentleman doing some gardening work for me just the other day commented that I should be poisoning the ground rather paying hill tribe people to pull weeds by hand and that I should burn my land completely which to the contrary I am making into a wildlife sanctuary of which I have seen pythons, deer, civets, small leopards, and all sorts of cool things of which I wouldn't dare show them photos or mention to them. And he probably doesn't know after they leave I carefully pick up every cigarette butt and plastic trash item they throw on my land.

I don't think badly of them, just accept this is who they are and this is their way. They don't have a concept of loving or nurturing a forest. So they go right into clearly marked national forests because they ruined all the lands given to them. Thailand desperately needs areas that are protected from this otherwise they will hunt everything down including all the endangered species, chop down the trees, and take everything of value down to the last orchid. I see it everyday. And it is ironic that even this so-called "prominent activist" seemed solely set on exploiting national forests for his and his buddies personal benefit rather than wanting to protect the forest. National forests belong to all the Thai people and should not be exploited by a few who will just repeat a cycle of destruction. You've just got to draw the line somewhere or it will be all gone.

As far as the honey, yes I too see all the time what is sold is just brown sugar water labeled as honey. Now in his case it says he was caught in possession of "unlawful wild bee honeycomb". That's bad form to go into a national forest with an intent to break the law, but totally consistent with what I see these people doing on a daily basis.

I guess what you are saying is that his removal from the planet is justified then?

No. I can't see any hostility in what 'canopy' wrote. "I don't think badly of them, just accept this is who they are and this is their way."

[canopy]

Right, if the parks are going beyond the law they are in the wrong and should get due punishment. The first article implied to me they were just following the rule of law but that last article raises serious suspicions to the contrary and I hope they get to the bottom of it. I was also unaware these Karen have no land at all and would think that is a reasonable request, but what may complicate matters is it could be a lot of these people were born in other countries and came here illegally so granting illegal aliens land for free and giving nothing to local Thai people could be a difficult sell. So I would say the court case is probably the best way forward and let both sides be heard and make the best decision one way or the other. I sure hope they are able to find a solution to save the forests and preserve these peoples way of life.

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[bigbamboo]

Environmental Activist and Key Court Witness 'Disappears'

By Khaosod English

Porchalee Rakchongcharoen with his family.

BANGKOK — An environmental activist and key witness in a court case against the director of Kaeng Krachan Park has disappeared, his family says.

Porchalee Rakchongcharoen, an ethnic Karen also known as "Billy," is involved in a lawsuit that accuses Kaeng Krachan Park authorities of damaging the property and homes of more than 20 Karen families living inside the park. Mr. Porchalee is also a central witness for a separate lawsuit investigating the park director's involvement in the murder of another environmental activist in 2011.

Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, the director of Kaen Krachan Park, said Mr. Porchalee was detained at a checkpoint and taken for questioning on 17 April because of illegal honey found in his possession.

Mr. Chaiwat said Mr. Porchalee was released after the questioning, but he has been missing ever since.

On 19 April, Mr. Porchalee’s family filed a complaint with local police alleging that he was forcibly "disappeared."

Police have yet to release any information on Mr. Porchalee’s whereabouts.

“We are pressing Thai authorities to break this silence and come up with basic information about what they have done so far and what they are preparing to do,” said Sunai Phasu, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Porchalee was en route to meet with Karen villagers in Petchaburi province to prepare for an upcoming court hearing on the lawsuit filed by villagers against park authorities last year. The lawsuit alleged that in July 2011, Kaeng Krachan park officials destroyed the property and homes of more than 20 families living in the national park.

Distraught by Mr. Porlachee's disappearance, residents of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan National Park submitted letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Lawyers Council of Thailand, seeking their assistance to redress their concern about Mr. Porlachee's safety.

Mr. Krathong Cheebung, a leader of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan, said he was supposed to meet Mr. Porlachee at his house in Kaeng Krachan on 17 April, but the man never showed up.

Mr. Krathong said he phoned Mr. Porlachee's brother and learned that Mr. Porlachee left his residence in Bang Kloi village at 1 p.m. that day, taking six bottles of honey with him as a gift.

"I asked his wife and his friends, but no one ever saw him again," Mr. Krathong said.

Another resident, Wut Boonlert, said Mr. Porlachee had also been drafting a royal petition for His Majesty the King, in order to inform him of the alleged persecution of the Karen people at the hands of park officials.

According to Mr. Wut, the petition details the series of violent acts committed by park officials, such as the burning of houses and barns, arrests, and forceful removal of the villagers from their homes.

The petition drafted by Mr. Porlachee also asks the Thai authorities to formally set up residential zones for the Karens to live in peace. "That way we won't have to starve and suffer," Mr. Wut said, "[These days] we are scattered in the forest like barbarians."

It is not immediately clear whether the petition has ever been submitted to the palace bureau.

Mr. Surapong Kongchantuek, a leading member of the NHRC, told Khaosod that the Commission will be following the case closely, and that Mr. Porlachee's disappearance will likely frighten other witnesses in the lawsuit against the park office.

Park chief Mr. Chaiwat, who purportedly detained and then released Mr. Porchalee, is also under criminal investigation for allegedly masterminding the murder of Tatkamol Ob-om, a Thai activist from Mr. Porchalee’s network who was shot and killed in September 2011.

Mr. Surapong said he is concerned that Mr. Chaiwat continues to act as the head of the park despite bureaucratic regulations that require officials who are facing serious court allegations to be suspended from their duties.

“Enforced disappearance” is not recognized as a criminal offense in Thailand’s penal code.

The Thai government signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in January 2012, but the treaty has yet to be ratified by parliament.

“Because there is no legal definition of enforced disappearance in Thai law, it has become a convenient exit for criminals when a body cannot be found,” said Mr. Sunai. “If there is no body, they cannot be charged of murder.”

According to Human Rights Watch, Thai authorities have failed to prioritize solving any of the 63 known cases of enforced disappearance.

Thailand is the second most dangerous Asian country for environmental activists, ranking second to the Philippines for the highest number of extralegal killings of environmental activists in the past decade.

Since 2002, 16 environmental activists in Thailand have been killed extra legally, Global Witness reports.

Mr. Porlachee's family said they will submit a letter detailing their grievance to the Governor of Petchaburi province later today.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1398066699

-- Khaosod English 2014-04-21

This is a serious issue in Thailand.... but sadly extra judicial killings are nothing new here.

[Artisi]

Environmental Activist and Key Court Witness 'Disappears'

By Khaosod English

Porchalee Rakchongcharoen with his family.

BANGKOK — An environmental activist and key witness in a court case against the director of Kaeng Krachan Park has disappeared, his family says.

Porchalee Rakchongcharoen, an ethnic Karen also known as "Billy," is involved in a lawsuit that accuses Kaeng Krachan Park authorities of damaging the property and homes of more than 20 Karen families living inside the park. Mr. Porchalee is also a central witness for a separate lawsuit investigating the park director's involvement in the murder of another environmental activist in 2011.

Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, the director of Kaen Krachan Park, said Mr. Porchalee was detained at a checkpoint and taken for questioning on 17 April because of illegal honey found in his possession.

Mr. Chaiwat said Mr. Porchalee was released after the questioning, but he has been missing ever since.

On 19 April, Mr. Porchalee’s family filed a complaint with local police alleging that he was forcibly "disappeared."

Police have yet to release any information on Mr. Porchalee’s whereabouts.

“We are pressing Thai authorities to break this silence and come up with basic information about what they have done so far and what they are preparing to do,” said Sunai Phasu, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Porchalee was en route to meet with Karen villagers in Petchaburi province to prepare for an upcoming court hearing on the lawsuit filed by villagers against park authorities last year. The lawsuit alleged that in July 2011, Kaeng Krachan park officials destroyed the property and homes of more than 20 families living in the national park.

Distraught by Mr. Porlachee's disappearance, residents of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan National Park submitted letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Lawyers Council of Thailand, seeking their assistance to redress their concern about Mr. Porlachee's safety.

Mr. Krathong Cheebung, a leader of the Karen community in Kaeng Krachan, said he was supposed to meet Mr. Porlachee at his house in Kaeng Krachan on 17 April, but the man never showed up.

Mr. Krathong said he phoned Mr. Porlachee's brother and learned that Mr. Porlachee left his residence in Bang Kloi village at 1 p.m. that day, taking six bottles of honey with him as a gift.

"I asked his wife and his friends, but no one ever saw him again," Mr. Krathong said.

Another resident, Wut Boonlert, said Mr. Porlachee had also been drafting a royal petition for His Majesty the King, in order to inform him of the alleged persecution of the Karen people at the hands of park officials.

According to Mr. Wut, the petition details the series of violent acts committed by park officials, such as the burning of houses and barns, arrests, and forceful removal of the villagers from their homes.

The petition drafted by Mr. Porlachee also asks the Thai authorities to formally set up residential zones for the Karens to live in peace. "That way we won't have to starve and suffer," Mr. Wut said, "[These days] we are scattered in the forest like barbarians."

It is not immediately clear whether the petition has ever been submitted to the palace bureau.

Mr. Surapong Kongchantuek, a leading member of the NHRC, told Khaosod that the Commission will be following the case closely, and that Mr. Porlachee's disappearance will likely frighten other witnesses in the lawsuit against the park office.

Park chief Mr. Chaiwat, who purportedly detained and then released Mr. Porchalee, is also under criminal investigation for allegedly masterminding the murder of Tatkamol Ob-om, a Thai activist from Mr. Porchalee’s network who was shot and killed in September 2011.

Mr. Surapong said he is concerned that Mr. Chaiwat continues to act as the head of the park despite bureaucratic regulations that require officials who are facing serious court allegations to be suspended from their duties.

“Enforced disappearance” is not recognized as a criminal offense in Thailand’s penal code.

The Thai government signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in January 2012, but the treaty has yet to be ratified by parliament.

“Because there is no legal definition of enforced disappearance in Thai law, it has become a convenient exit for criminals when a body cannot be found,” said Mr. Sunai. “If there is no body, they cannot be charged of murder.”

According to Human Rights Watch, Thai authorities have failed to prioritize solving any of the 63 known cases of enforced disappearance.

Thailand is the second most dangerous Asian country for environmental activists, ranking second to the Philippines for the highest number of extralegal killings of environmental activists in the past decade.

Since 2002, 16 environmental activists in Thailand have been killed extra legally, Global Witness reports.

Mr. Porlachee's family said they will submit a letter detailing their grievance to the Governor of Petchaburi province later today.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1398066699

-- Khaosod English 2014-04-21

This is a serious issue in Thailand.... but sadly extra judicial killings are nothing new here.

Correct, not a particularly nice thought, but "disappeared" - doesn't looks good in this case.

Also - nice to see all the concerned posters - worrying about the honey ladies in Pattaya , the way the Karen live, applying the law re poaching collecting honey etc.

Well done people - as long as your Ok - guess everything is sweet - just another disappearance, no problem.

[Ricardo]

Correct, not a particularly nice thought, but "disappeared" - doesn't looks good in this case.

Also - nice to see all the concerned posters - worrying about the honey ladies in Pattaya , the way the Karen live, applying the law re poaching collecting honey etc.

Well done people - as long as your Ok - guess everything is sweet - just another disappearance, no problem.

"just another disappearance, no problem"

What part of "Hope the missing activist shows up shortly", in my post #2, was unclear ?

And in ridiculing the alleged grounds, for the arrest/questioning reported in the OP, I was similarly expressing my disapproval of what appeared to be the misuse of power.

Sorry that you didn't understand that, from my post, I'll try harder next time.

[Som wat]

Sad to say, no doubt in my mind, RIP.

[F4UCorsair]

Canopy, these people don't seem to be much different from the Australian aborigines, slash and burn, grow nothing, kill all the close game, move on and repeat, except these people seem to be more permanently settled.

Back in the 80's I visited many settlements in the north of Australia, and noted that the 'destruction' radiated out from the settlement. Close in, nothing stood, no trees or grass, all burnt or used for building, and the density increased the further out one went. It was so evident from the air, and unfortunately, modern white man technology, 4WD vehicles, chainsaws, and firearms, have exacerbated the situation.

It seems education may be the key, but they need to be receptive to the concept, just as the Thai government needs to be receptive to the concepts of 'freedom of speech' and 'human rights'.

I hope this man is found safe and well.

Edited April 21, 2014 by F4UCorsair

[issanaus]

Canopy, these people don't seem to be much different from the Australian aborigines, slash and burn, grow nothing, kill all the close game, move on and repeat, except these people seem to be more permanently settled.

Back in the 80's I visited many settlements in the north of Australia, and noted that the 'destruction' radiated out from the settlement. Close in, nothing stood, no trees or grass, all burnt or used for building, and the density increased the further out one went. It was so evident from the air, and unfortunately, modern white man technology, 4WD vehicles, chainsaws, and firearms, have exacerbated the situation.

It seems education may be the key, but they need to be receptive to the concept, just as the Thai government needs to be receptive to the concepts of 'freedom of speech' and 'human rights'.

I hope this man is found safe and well.

However since the 1980 and following a lot a research it was "discovered" that traditional burning practices promoted biodiversity and reduced destructive bush fires. Now much of the land has been returned to traditional management practices.

Concern about the culinary tastes of the remote communities lead to a couple of conservationists going on walk about with a community. They recorded all the kills by species .... Analysis of the data showed that given what was killed the community added to the protection of the natural wild life .... The species most commonly killed/eaten was Felis catus

The major emerging threat to the north is the European introduce cane toad

[Artisi]

Correct, not a particularly nice thought, but "disappeared" - doesn't looks good in this case.

Also - nice to see all the concerned posters - worrying about the honey ladies in Pattaya , the way the Karen live, applying the law re poaching collecting honey etc.

Well done people - as long as your Ok - guess everything is sweet - just another disappearance, no problem.

"just another disappearance, no problem"

What part of "Hope the missing activist shows up shortly", in my post #2, was unclear ?

And in ridiculing the alleged grounds, for the arrest/questioning reported in the OP, I was similarly expressing my disapproval of what appeared to be the misuse of power.

Sorry that you didn't understand that, from my post, I'll try harder next time.

Ricardo,

I wasn't particularly looking at / sighting your post - just a general comment re the apparent concern of many posters more interested in the peripheral issues rather than the heart of the matter of an activist going missing - when an activists goes missing it is never a good sign and hardly ever a happy outcome.

[Prbkk]

Canopy, these people don't seem to be much different from the Australian aborigines, slash and burn, grow nothing, kill all the close game, move on and repeat, except these people seem to be more permanently settled.

Back in the 80's I visited many settlements in the north of Australia, and noted that the 'destruction' radiated out from the settlement. Close in, nothing stood, no trees or grass, all burnt or used for building, and the density increased the further out one went. It was so evident from the air, and unfortunately, modern white man technology, 4WD vehicles, chainsaws, and firearms, have exacerbated the situation.

It seems education may be the key, but they need to be receptive to the concept, just as the Thai government needs to be receptive to the concepts of 'freedom of speech' and 'human rights'.

I hope this man is found safe and well.

Ignores the fact that indigenous australians lived in perfect harmony with the environment for 40,000 years before the arrival of the english.

[Puwa]

Here is some background info on assassinations of environmental activists in Thailand

http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/journals-magazines/article2/0402/appendix-i-collusion-and-influence-behind-the-assassinations-of-human-rights-defenders-in-thailand

And on the most famous recent case of forced disappearance

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somchai_Neelapaijit