Please contact the Embassy and Peace Corps Thailand to urge an investigation into allegations that the Thai government's forestry and army are forcing off an entire village of over 1,000 people for unspecified Royal plan. One similar village faced being forced off their land but the campaign saved their village. Your immediate help is necessary to save a whole community.

No alternatives for living or farming are being offered. Villagers have lived with harrassment and fear by local forestry and army personnel for years. While warning of destruction of the village, the army is also demanding $3,000 to be paid by each farmer in order to farm in same family farm.

The Akha, in general, face severe discrimination by the government while having their image exploited without permission by tourism, the government and even the US Range Rover's latest commercial. Please contact Cultural Survival at www.cs.org or The Akha Heritage Foundation at www.akha.org. This village is under immediate threat of destruction.

Thank you so much.

By Sonja Darai (darai) (62.cambridge-02rh16rt-03rh15rt.ma.dial-access.att.net - 12.76.174.62) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 9:56 pm: Edit Post

The Queen of Thailand, the 3rd Army and the Forestry Department is leading the project to remove indigenous people from the land. For more information go to: www.chaipat.or.th/journal/aug03/hill_e.html

The number of villages to be removed has increased to eight involving 500 families. Please question the US and Thai authorities regarding this horrible act. The villagers have been given no say in the matter, no options or compensation. The campaign to drive out the hilltribe people from huge acres of land is moving quickly.

For more information, look to Cultural Survival (www.cs.org) and The Akha Heritage Foundation (www.akha.org).