'Aggressive' forest policy spurs fears
Chularat Saengpassa,
Suwannee Bandisak
The Nation

P-Move says families facing eviction in Chaiyaphum predate reserves

BANGKOK: -- A NON-GOVERNMENT group has raised concern about the military government's "aggressive" policy to reclaim forest areas.

In Chaiyaphum province alone, about 200 families have already been affected, according to the People's Movement for Just Society (P-Move).

"Many of these locals have in fact lived in the zones even before they were declared a forest reserve," Kridsakorn Silarak of P-Move said yesterday.

He believed Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dapong Rattanasuwan and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) should review this policy.

Kridsakorn spoke up after officials based in Chaiyaphum cited the NCPO's 64th announcement on forest protection that requires locals living in Khok Yao area and those living in Bo Kaeo area of Khon San district to leave within 15 days.

In Kaset Somboon district also, officials showed up and tried to evict locals at Ban Thung Sum Siao.

Enforcement of the evictions has not started yet because locals, supported by NGOs, have petitioned the National Human Rights Commission and other authorities, which caused the NCPO to suspend such moves.

"The relation between humans and forests is complex. So, any problem is too complicated to be solved by eviction," Kridsakorn said.

He said he needed to speak up now because he had found out that announcements had gone up in many spots across the country, showing how much forest area the authorities want to reclaim.

Meanwhile, the Southern Farmers Confederation yesterday blamed influential figures for a serious conflict over 900-rai land plots in Surat Thani's Chai Buri district.

Confederation coordinator Jiranet Jaisuwan said these areas were earmarked for agricultural reform, which some certified locals were entitled to use but ended up being sold or occupied by influential figures.

The conflict between locals and influential figures has sunk to the point that soldiers and police have had to intervene.

The plots prove appealing to exploiters partly because they include palm plantations, which were started by a concessionaire.

After the concession expired, some 70 local villagers have laid their hands on these plots because they are registered participants in an agricultural-reform scheme there.

Influential figures, however, have also stepped in and threatened the local villagers.

Yesterday, Surat Thani Governor Chatpong Chatraphuti convened a meeting with relevant authorities to try to solve the conflict.

It was agreed at the meeting that a panel be set up and tasked with the mission of finding a solution within 15 days.

During the period, police and soldiers will be deployed in the disputed area so as to prevent any eruption of violence.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Aggressive-forest-policy-spurs-fears-30244664.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-03

Employ the forest people as forest guardians, treat them as friends of the forest not enemies.

Give them incomes from forest protection so they no longer have to rely on any agriculture that damages the forest.

Promote their pride in their environment and let them show it to the world through managed tourism.

A win, win for everyone.

As for the south, do the right thing by the right people rich or poor and if there is or has been any threats or intimidation stomp down hard.

Greed rules Thailand!

I agree that the relationship between people and the forest and its ecology is always complicated, emotional and a minefield for policy makers and law enforcers.

But it is a sad fact that these forest dwellers seldom practice sustainable forest usage. The areas they inhabit and hunt and harvest in are generally left after some time infested with exotic weeds, bamboo, feral animals and generalist native species. Orchid diversity is stripped for sale. The specialist species present before people arrived are unable to stay as their habitats are destroyed, and subsequently they become even more threatened than before. And megafauna like elephants and tigers simply cannot compete with these human usage patterns and habitat change.

While traditional forest dwellers (if in fact that is what these people are) did practice and pass on sustainable practices, access to and the demand from markets for forest products such as timber and orchids and animal products for Chinese so-called 'medicine', generally corrupts these practices to the point where many become a distant memory.

The sad fact is, while humans were once integral to forest ecology, we are now generally destroyers of it. I passionately believe in indigenous rights. But as an ecologist and student of the amazing diversity in nature, I am deeply concerned by the presence of these communities in the few parts of Thailand still worthy of conservation. Inappropriate burning practices, illegal logging and hunting often targeting already threatened species, uncoordinated and unsustainable wildflower collecting, and wasteful slash and burn type horticultural practices are what you can expect when poor people with access to modern international markets offering what are to them high cash rewards are allowed to remain in intimate contact with wild places.

Im all for the suggestion of employing them as rangers and forest guardians. Few could do it better than they can. But please, get them out while these forests are still worthy of protection, and before they are reduced to low diversity skeletons of their previous splendour.

Because then they will of little use to anyone, tradional forest dwellers included. Except developers, of course.

Interestingly the illegal absorption and encroachment of forest’s by ‘untouchable influential figures ’ did not spur any fears.

Is it same same- but Thainess again?