Hilltribes probed over possible misuse of land

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Hilltribes probed over possible misuse of land

THE AUTHORITIES are investigating the occupants of land plots in the emerging tourist destination of Phu Tub Berk in Phetchabun to determine whether they have contravened the objectives of the government's project to provide land to hilltribes.

The Public Welfare Department allocated many land plots in Phu Tub Berk to hilltribes so they could make a living. In the beginning the tribes grew cabbages, filling mountainous areas with green orchards. It added appeal to the area, which offers spectacular views of seas of clouds.

In recent years Phu Tub Berk has become an increasingly popular tourist destination with several resorts and restaurants popping up, many of them illegally.

"We are looking into the occupation and use of land in Phu Tub Berk alongside the Social Development and Welfare Department," Royal Forest Department director-general Chonlatid Suraswadi said.

He said his department had already taken action against resorts in the area because their presence ran against the objectives of the land-allocation scheme.

"There have been 27 such cases in 2013 and 2014, 10 of which have been ruled on by the court," he said.

Chonlatid said that armed by the court orders, officials would soon demolish the offending resorts. He said locals could use their plots for small resorts or home stays.

The illegal buildings were among the problems raised at a recent meeting chaired by Phetchabun Governor Bandhit Teweetiwarak.

Other problems include garbage issues, exorbitant fees charged by some restaurants and resorts, illegally installed advertising boards, and safety concerns.

Bandhit said there were 62 resorts in Phu Tub Berk and some were not of a good standard.

"We need to address all these problems," he said.

He urged locals to cooperate with the authorities so as to safeguard Phu Tub Berk's good image as a tourist destination.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Hilltribes-probed-over-possible-misuse-of-land-30271060.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-15

[kjun12]

The land was probably owned by the Hill-Tribe people before the government stole it from them.

[ratcatcher]

'Bandhit said there were 62 resorts in Phu Tub Berk and some were not of a good standard."

Perhaps they will be kind enough to allow the illegal resorts of "good standard" to remain, whilst demolishing those substandard resorts?

[SOTIRIOS]

....nice message...survive...but do not thrive.... ...'we already have our own tourist racket going on'.......

[trainman34014]

As usual; attack the poor people scratching a living and leave all the billionaires on the Islands with all their stolen land to steal even more !

[jerome2]

It would be good to have coment from poeple who have actualy been there

[Lupatria]

Misuse of land by hill tribes living there for centuries. I hope they don't build any shopping malls on it.

[DP25]

Large resorts in places like this are normally run by people from Bangkok, illegally using the hill tribe land in exchange for a few peanuts they toss to them.

[Nowisee]

I can only imagine how 27 resorts were "allowed" to be built in the first place.

[springheeled jack]

its not the hill tribes who are misusing the land its the locals who have jumped on the bandwagon and set up the resorts these are the people who need to be sorted .

[oztaurus]

The land was probably owned by the Hill-Tribe people before the government stole it from them.

Your sentiment is probably correct though (and I stress that I do not know exactly which hill tribes are involved, nor their particular customs) many indigenous groups throughout the world do not have the concept of land ownership .... they regard themselves as part of the land rather than masters of it, that is a concept imported from other cultures - which nationalistic governments exploit to disenfranchise minority ethnic cultures.

[NongKhaiKid]

'Bandhit said there were 62 resorts in Phu Tub Berk and some were not of a good standard."

Perhaps they will be kind enough to allow the illegal resorts of "good standard" to remain, whilst demolishing those substandard resorts?

I'm sure ownership and connections will be taken into consideration before action is taken.

[SoilSpoil]

Maybe also probe hill tribes and the big agro firms over their slash and burn crimes late February and March.

A lot of corn is planted in Mae Hon Son and Chiang Mai this year, which will lead to a lot of smog.

[slapout]

I doubt the hilltribe folks had the funds to build resorts, maybe they sold land designated as to be used for farming ahd their residense to some dummy compamies with aid of land office, village headman, etc.

This seems to be the findings in the other areas where tllegal encroachment, land usiage etc have been found.

Just wait until they review the Chiang Dao area for land that has been converted to farning on high angle land that is prohibited from any deforestation of so called mountains. Someone will bring it to the authorties attention one of these days and the s... will hit the fan and the finger will point at ''hill tribe '' again

[elgordo38]

The land was probably owned by the Hill-Tribe people before the government stole it from them.

Your sentiment is probably correct though (and I stress that I do not know exactly which hill tribes are involved, nor their particular customs) many indigenous groups throughout the world do not have the concept of land ownership .... they regard themselves as part of the land rather than masters of it, that is a concept imported from other cultures - which nationalistic governments exploit to disenfranchise minority ethnic cultures.

Its the same reason that Mexicans are flooding back into the United States. Reclaiming land stolen at the end of a gun barrel.

[canopy]

It would be good to have coment from poeple who have actualy been there

I live nearby. This mountain is a tourist attraction because it is the highest mountain in Phetchabun province. At the top are hill tribes selling souvenirs and such offering some color to an otherwise bland experience of yet another view point. Most days are too hazy (often due to heavy burning) to see clearly very far anyway.

It is sad to say, but having lived around hill tribe people they have no regard for nature. I love them to death and use them whenever I can to help on my land. But they burn, poison, and destroy land and many suffer from respiratory problems due to their actions. Their villages reek of plastic fires. They hunt in the national forests sending all creatures large and small to the brink of extinction along with other plants, orchids, etc. Most people around here including thai's (actually mostly ethnic laotians) received land from the government for free and typically such early land titles are very restrictive on what you can do. It's normal that no business type development, leasing, or selling is allowed. I would speculate in this particular case we are talking about Sor Bor Gor land titles though not for certain. Everyone is certainly are aware resorts are illegal and the government rattles the chains about them from time to time, but it's the sort of thing the law is whatever you get away with in these parts and that's almost anything. Some hill tribes do farming and there are a lot of cabbages grown on the mountain. I haven't noticed a single orchard however. That's probably more of a government pipe dream of how they would dream of poor people using the land.