Myths about Hilltribes

Destruction of Environment

Much of Thai society is led to believe that the hilltribes of Northern Thailand are destroying the forests and hills that they live on. What Thais do not realize is that the hilltribe villagers are often paid by the government to log these forests. One Akha villager explains that her people do not traditionally log trees in the forests they inhabit but the government hires her villagers to cut the largest trees in the forest and then sells them to multinational corporations for a large profit. The villagers do not see any of the economic profits from this deforestation but are held responsible. The government does nothing to correct the common misconception that the villagers are the cause of this environmental degradation. Even local NGOs are misled and are working to relocate hilltribe villages in an effort to “protect” these forests.

Drug Trafficking

Misled by national media, it is often believed that hilltribe people are responsible for the drug trafficking problems of Southeast Asia . The government hires hilltribe people to grow opium only to later use this against them. Many hiltribes when “discovered” to be growing opium are pinned as drug traffickers and often forced to replant their fields with other crops. For more information see The Royal Project

Uncivilized and Uneducated

Many believe that the ways of life of the ethnic minorities in Thailand are backward and uncivilized. They are seen as dirty, uneducated and ignorant. Often the fact that they do not speak the Thai language is held against them despite the fact that many are denied access to public education.

Faced with the hardship of poverty and the lack of citizenship, ethnic minorities are deprived of the opportunities to combat the misconceptions held about them.

For more information on discrimination click here