BARBIE GOES TRIBAL

COMMUNITY VOICES

The racism and violence of “nature conservation” as imposed by Thailand’s Royal Forest Department (RFD) erupted in the Hmong community of Pa Klang on 21 August 2000. On that day, RFD officials and police, passively watched as a mob of lowland Thais cut down the fruit orchards and burned houses of the Hmong people. Increasingly, ethnic Hmong communities living in the watershed uplands of northern Thailand are threatened with violence and forced eviction from their homelands.

“This is like dying while still alive”

Approximately 150 years ago, the Hmong people migrated
into Nan, Thailand, by crossing the Mekong River from Laos.
However, the official recognition of the Pa Klang community
settlement came only in 1932. Our livelihoods relied on
agriculture such as cultivating rice, vegetables and opium.
At that time opium growing was allowed because it served as
income for the state. In 1963, when the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT)
developed a strong base in Nan province. At that time, the government gave 10
rai [1.6 hectares] of farmland to each family in the new
settlement area. However, these lands
were provided without considering the
quality of the land. Most of the land could
not be farmed because it was on steep
slopes or the soil was infertile. At that time, the military
officers made an agreement with Hmong
people that once the fight with the
Communists was over, they would provide
new land for us or allow us to return to
our original settlement. However, it never
happened as they promised. Presently, most of the Hmong in
Pa Klang have farmlands in Chiang Klang district, but our
village is located in Pua district, with about 6,200 people. We
have 14 square kilometers of land. We paid the land tax (Phortoh-
boh 5) to Chiang Klang district for using the land.
However, we still have no legal ownership of the land.
Watershed Vol. 6 No. 2 November 2000 – February 2001 Page 4

Ralph’s Friend Jacob has been studying the Hmong People for approximately one year. In the fall he will live in St. Paul, Minneosta; where a community of Hmong people migrated. He rents a vacation home with his wife and 15 month old son. Jacob is a PHD student at the University of Chicago; Jacob moved from New York to Utah when he was a teen. We were lucky enough to stay with them and have Jacob facilitate our study of the Hmong. I read three articles on the Hmong, each had a different objective and view of the Hmong. My Thai mother told me that “Hmong are bad. The men take multiple wives and make them work so they can be lazy.” Alex had to convince a driver to take us on our trek; the driver made up several excuses of why he could not go to the hills. The drive said his bus would not make it up the hills and the people were to backwards to associate with. I found this racial discrimination very odd. I could not understand how people who look almost identical, speak the same language and have a long history, could be seen as different. The small amount of information made me fascinated with the Hmong. Once arriving in Nan, we settled into our new living quarters, and explored the Wednesday market. As usual I was the most excited to shop at the market. The market was small but there were a lot of unique and cheap items. I found a beautiful shirt! I love it so much! I found a few snacks and enjoyed a yummy coconut donut recommended by a very nice man. Ralph bought me long gloves… I didn’t tell him they were fugly!

After the market we played volleyball with 20 locals… I don’t like volleyball but found the most adorable group of girls! The girls had the cutest faces and even tho I couldn’t understand them I think they were very sassy! The girls and kids were very shy. I t took most of the night to get them to warm up. Once it got dark we departed for home. Jacob prepared a traditional Hmong dinner. Special Hmong fancy grass with a side of bone in a yummy broth. It was good but apparently they eat it about 10 times a week and in that case I would be a very skinny grouchy lady!

The following morning was a turning point in my 4 weeks in Thailand; I ate American pancakes with bananas and a normal fried egg. I was in food heaven!! It tasted so good and for the first time in a long time I felt completely full! Three cultural boundaries were broken at breakfast. The drivers never eat with their passengers but our driver came in for breakfast. The driver, who hates Hmongs sat next to Jacob’s Hmong assistant. And I can’t remember the third… hmmmmm I will have to ask Stanley. After breakfast we set out to visit a “famous” salt mine. I wish words could describe the beauty that I observed from the bus.

We traveled for approximately 6 hours to visit Nan and the drive to the salt mine was 80 minutes. We were 10km away from Laos but at one point we were on top of a mountain and on the left was Thailand and the right was Laos. We were driving on a road that went straight up into the clouds. I wish my pictures could capture the magnitude of the beauty. We stop at several stops to observed a mini Wat and the “oldest tree ever” (not sure if I believe that). There was talk of visiting the Thai Princess’s projects so when we arrived at the salt mine I thought we were at a small community project. After I saw two people working and the small hole in the ground, I hear we were at the salt mine. I was astonished at the size and the conditions of the factory.

The river which the salt is derived from...

The factory

The famous salt mine!

Salt not snow... don't be fooled... it is hotter than you know where!!... Mom, I didn't say you know what...

The salt mine was pretty boring so luckily Kimi’s foot kissed by a leech!! It was the most disgusting thing ever! A lot of bleed came out of the leech and poor Kimi was a little panicked. After leaving the salt mine we drove a different direction home and stopped at one of two of the Princess’s projects. One was closed so we didn’t get to visit the project. The second project was so beautiful! The princess has an agriculture project that employees the community and children and teens have access to a free education which in return gives the project higher educated employees.

The heat almost killed me before the food we ate at a beautiful waterfall. We ate at a vendor and if I have to look at fish or eat papaya salad one more time I will vomit on the nearest dirty dog!!! That is a promise, that I can’t keep or I would be vomiting every meal. L I just hate looking a flies eating my meal before me and looking into the charcoaled eyes of dead animals… I would be a vegetarian but even Nicole Richie has a little meat on her bones these days! The waterfalls were exactly what I wanted! I need some cold water to cool myself down. I was also glad the driver was able to take a bath and wash his hair since he refused to come in the house to even use the toilet. As usual the boys had to dunk me in the water so my “pineapple” would get wet. Stanley lovingly refers to my hair as the pineapple. I would not have mind but I was not planning on washing my hair until I got home. Regardless of my hair I didn’t care that Ralph was splashing me the most. We played on the rocks and hike up the waterfall until we felt it was to dangerous to go any further.

At the nightly volleyball game I was instantly best friends with my girls from the night before. The girls and I danced to music and they liked touching my white skin. I enjoyed tickling them and making them giggle. One of the girls gave me the tiniest baby to hold. I thought he was going to slip out of my sweaty arms. I held him most of the night and when a lady stole him away I reached my hands out and he came back to me! That moment will forever be in my mind; I got the approval of the local women and that baby made me feel so special. After volleyball, my gang of girls took me down the street and away from the bus… I thought I would surely be sleeping in a wooden home but Ralph made me leave my girls behind. I was very sad. Jacob picked up a 300 buht dinner from a restaurant which is the traditional way of consuming meals. The food is so cheap that NO one cooks! Everyone buys all of their meals at a market; 300 buht is about $9 US dollars and feed 12 people and a baby. After showers, all the interns watched Crash, great movie that exposes stereotyping. Everyone should watch that movie often!!

Friday morning, we went to a morning market that opens at 3am and last until 8am… of course we didn’t arrive until 9am and it was closing. We headed to one of the best Thailand bakeries. I enjoyed a delicious sweet bread that was filled with chocolate. I also got some chocolate puffs but shared them with the group because I want to be skinny for my Phuket trip! After breakfast we visited with a Hmong family that Brenda and baby Thomas spend a lot of time with. The homes were the wooden huts, I would guess that about half of the homes I saw were wooden huts and the others were cement. The “family” was spread into about 6 homes. The father has two wives; Brenda explained that the first wife is economically independent of her husband. The son of the first wives takes care of his Mother. The two wives have about 3 feet of dirt separating their homes. The first home we saw had three married couples living in the different corners. I was shocked and grateful for my house at home… I hope that is not judgmental but I would not like that living situation.

One corner of the hut; this is one married couples bedroom.

They cook and make fires in the wooden hut so they are completely black inside.... hmmmmm i hope their lungs are not as black! I don’t know how everyone is related in the area. I visited with a paralyzed woman. We played dress up in the clothes she makes. I bought the blue Hmong skirt for 1000 buht which was a huge antiques discount because Brenda’s cost 3200 buht. We stayed with the people all morning. I loved the Hmong people! We said our goodbyes and hit the road at about 1pm…

We made it to Chiang Mai in time to accompany Ralph to Terminator… I didn’t mind it but the beginning battle scenes made me think about Chase and I wanted to cry because I am afraid for Chase!!! I wish Obama would bring our troops home and make the “change” he said he would!!!!