[OB] Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand

Thanks Carl, I sure will. Denise Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Nominated by Earthfoot for Condé Nast’s International Ecotourism Award, 2004. With every introduction of a plant or animal that goes feral this continent becomes a little less unique, a little less Australian. On 18 Apr 2015, at 8:15 pm, Carl Clifford <carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote: > Something to consider if you are thinking of birding in Thailand’s National Parks. > > Carl Clifford > > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: “round.philip@yahoo.com [orientalbirding]” <orientalbirding-noreply@yahoogroups.com> >> Date: 18 April 2015 6:40:08 pm AEST >> To: <orientalbirding@yahoogroups.com> >> Subject: [OB] Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand >> Reply-To: round.philip@yahoo.com >> >> >> I wonder how many birding visitors to Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, are aware of the unsavoury nature of the human rights issues looming over the park? There are a number of long established Karen villages inside the park. One year ago, as Kong Rithdee’s column in Bangkok Post newspaper of 18 April 2015 reminds us, a Karen rights activist Porlajee Rakchongcharoen, known as “Billy”, who lived in one of these villages, was arrested inside Kaeng Krachan National Park allegedly for the heinous crime of possessing a wild honeycomb and six bottles of wild honey. Park chief Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn said that Billy was released after receiving a warning. But nobody can confirm that Billy was ever again seen as a free man after having been taken into custody by national park authorities. Investigators who examined camera footage confirmed that there were no photographs of Billy being released. Billy has been “disappeared”! Police, family, friends and villagers all searched for Billy in vain. Not a trace was ever found—he was never seen again. >> >> It is no secret that Billy was regarded by national park authorities as a troublemaker, having led protests against forced evictions from the forest. In one such eviction, uniformed men in helicopters descended on a Karen village inside Kaeng Krachan National Park and burnt that village to the ground. >> >> In an unrelated case, the same park superintendent was also tried, along with four other officials, for the alleged murder of another Karen rights defender, Mr Tabkamol Ob-om in 2011. Mr Tabkamol was shot dead while driving in Phetchaburi (town). Last October the court acquitted Mr Chaiwat and his co-defendants due to “unsubstantial [sic] evidence”. Karen people inside Kaeng Krachan are said now to live in fear of government officials. (Source: Bangkok Post Commentary, 18 April 2015) >> >> This has major implications for the Thai authorities, ever chasing the tourist dollar, especially as Kaeng Krachan National Park is being assessed for World Heritage status under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The authoritarian Thai government will likely do its best to pretend that all is well in the forest, and that nothing amiss ever happened. Will UNESCO collude in this, and sweep both social and environmental management concerns under the carpet as it has done before in Thailand, at Khao Yai National Park, for example? Or will it this time concede that there are serious concerns over protected area management in Thailand? >> >> >> >> __._,_.___ >> Posted by: round.philip@yahoo.com >> Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) >> This group is run in association with the Oriental Bird Club. To find out more about the Club and its conservation work, and to become a member, please visit www.orientalbirdclub.org >> VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 1 >> • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use >> . >> >> >> __,_._,___ >


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