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Sea gypsies mass in Phuket to voice threats to traditional way of life

The Phuket News

 

Forced relocation through court-ordered evictions for land that sea gypsies had been living on for generations was the key threat to the sea gypsies’ traditional lifestyle, those present at the Phuket event were told. Photo: PR Dept

 

PHUKET: -- About 1,000 sea gypsies from along the Andaman Coast gathered at Phuket’s Rawai Beach yesterday (Nov 20) to air their grievances about the slew of problems the once-sea-faring nomads face in modern Thailand today.

 

Chief of the sea gypsies’ concerns is forced relocation through court-ordered evictions to uphold claims to land that the indigenous people had long lived on uncontested, explained Sangsom Harnthalay, who heads the sea gypsy community on the popular tourist island of Koh Lipe to the south in Satun.

 

“This issue affects up to 12,000 people of many different types of sea gypsies, including the three main tribes: Moken, Moklen and Urak Lawoi,” he said.

 

The Moken, Moklen and Urak Lawoi are found from as far north as the Similan Islands off Phang Nga, to Koh Siray and Rawai in Phuket, on Phi Phi Island and Koh Lanta Island in Krabi, and Koh Lipe in Satun.

 

“There are more than 100 cases in which sea gypsies are being sued, including those in Rawai,” he said.

 

“Twenty-one locations are being disputed, even though sea gypsies graves have been found in those areas, while two locations disputed involve homes that have already been registered with government,” Mr Sangsom said.

 

Niran Panyang, representing sea gypsies in Rawai, pointed out that the forced evictions threatened sea gypsies’ traditional way of life.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/sea-gypsies-mass-in-phuket-to-voice-threats-to-traditional-way-of-life-59937.php

 

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