Profits Over People

Ethnic Minorities in Thailand face extreme discrimination and marginalization. Below is detailed information about the types of discrimination these populations face and the exploitation that comes as a result of it.

Hilltribes Boost Tourism

The denial of citizenship to ethnic minorities is not only a denial of basic rights but it is an exploitation of people, cultures and their traditions. While the Thai government refuses to grant citizenship to thousands of ethnic minorities in Thailand, they do not hesitate to cash in on these populations as part of the booming tourist industry. Trekking to the northern hiltribe villages is a common tourist activity that Thailand promotes and encourages. They are quick to display the colorful clothing, often adorned in beautiful silver and bead decorations, and artisan work in their tourism brochures. Rifles traditionally used by the Akha for hunting were long ago confiscated by the army and can now be found for sale to tourists in urban areas—the profits not seen by the Akha people.

Cheap Labor

Thailand also profits from these ethnic minority populations because of the cheap labor they provide that is readily exploited by national and international companies (is this true????) . Since these laborers are not legal, they are not subject to minimum wage or other labor laws.

Language

Many ethnic minorities have trouble finding work because they are unable to speak Thai, the national language. Living in their villages for generations without the need to speak Thai places them at a disadvantage in the 21 st century when conditions have made it essential to leave the villages for work. Because education is not available to many of these populations (causes of non citizen status) , many never formally learned Thai in schools. Currently, many children who do attend school serve as the go-between for their parents who only speak their native tongue. The undue pressure placed on these youth is multi-fold as they serve as translators for their parents as well as breadwinners as they often must go in search of work at an early age as they are the only ones who are able to communicate outside of their villages. These youth, thus, abandon education early and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Risk of Arrest

According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, in July 2004 in the village of Pang Daeng in the Chiang Mai Province , 48 people were arrested on grounds of encroachment in a forest conservation area. This was the third time that this village faced arrests. At the same time, there were no such arrests or charges against the owners of nearby farms, resorts, golf courses and other companies despite the fact that the encroachments by these companies were significantly larger than those by the villagers.

Land Relocation

Many hiltribe villages have been strongly encouraged and persuaded (and occasionally forced) to relocate from the hills in which they have lived for centuries to lower lands in a government attempt to have greater control over these populations. Once relocated they are denied the right to own the land that they live and work on. Instead, they are employed by the government, given low salaries, no benefits and are essentially working for the government's own profit. Villagers recount that it is common practice for the government to tell them what crop to grow and how much they will earn per kilogram once harvested. However, when time comes to sell the crop the villagers are given a price significantly lower than the price originally quoted to them.

The Royal Project

The Royal Project is a national effort to improve the condition of the hiltribe populations in the north. However, according to villagers, in recent years it has become a way for the government to manipulate village location and access to good, arable lands. Areas and villages that have an abundance of water that can be used by the hilltribe people to improve their own condition are often claimed by the government in the name of the Royal Project. Similarly, villages are requested to relocate if they inhabit lands that the government deems profitable, again the name of the Royal Project is used and the villagers have little ability to defend themselves.

In one case, when a village was denied the right to use its own water abundance, one villager protested and was arrested and jailed for 2 months. He was used as an example by local officials to scare other villagers into compliance.

National Forests

In a nationwide attempt to comply with the global movement to protect forests and wildlife, the Thai government has protected a large percentage of its national territory as National Forests. While an important precedent to set, the lands chosen for National Forests are often the lands that ethnic minorities have inhabited for generations. Regarding their homes as unimportant and knowing that the villagers have little recourse to resist these relocations, the government strips ethnic minorities of their homes and their rights. Regardless of whether these populations are citizens or non-citizens they are denied the right to own land.

For more information on discrimination see the section myths about hilltribes

For information on socially responsible trekking in northern Thailand click here.