From the heart of Chiang Mai, a message of distress rises, echoing through the picturesque landscape of Doi Saket district. The simple request, a plea from the Karen villagers, sweeps across the skies, clambering upon the ears of those who choose to hear. The local populace voices their protest against the government’s forest land management policy, a policy that is shackling their indigenous way of life, an existence deeply intertwined with nature. The villages at the epicenter of this outcry are Ban Huay Pha Tuen and Yom Ban Doi, nestled in the serene bosom of tambon Pa Miang.
The sun dawned on Sunday differently. Instead of a day dedicated to rest and relaxation, it beheld the resolve of the villagers. Banding together, they submitted their petition to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, during what was his momentous visit to the northern part of the country. The villagers’ plea was profound, yet straightforward – dismantle the oppressive forest land management policy enforced by the National Land Policy Board (NLPB).
They reminisced the 2010 regulation on land and natural resources management, a mandate from the Prime Minister’s office that recognized, respected, and honored the rights of Thailand’s ethnic minorities. It was a hopeful memory of an August 3, 2010 cabinet resolution targeted at safeguarding the ethnic minority’s rights. And while they cherished such memories, they yearned for them to become their present.
The sword of the NLBP’s policy hangs in trepidation above their heads. It threatens to snatch away the land that generations of these villagers have occupied, well before any modern-day forest management conventions were conceptualized. The land they have sustained their lives on, the land they have called home.
“The NLBP’s principles of forest land management fail to acknowledge us as forest dwellers,” echoes their collective voice, brewing with frustration and despair. Their desire for stability, security, and recognition resonates in their call for community land title deeds. Such a deed, they believe, will safeguard their ancient and traditional way of life and enable them to continue living in harmony with the land.
The Karen villagers have a bone to pick with the NLBP’s ‘Green Economy’ policy too. This initiative to inflate forested areas by 40% seems greener on the other side. It paints a lucrative image for the investors, an image frustratingly more vibrant than that of the local villagers’ plight. The villagers view it as an imbalance, an injustice that needs correction, a narrative that needs revision.
Furthermore, the villagers have also demanded a formal acknowledgement and apology from the government for the perceived infringement on the tribal people’s human rights due to these contentious policies. An apology would be a step towards reconciliation and a promise towards a more inclusive and respectful treatment of their way of life.
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