Friends of the forest continue their fight

Illegal logging and hunting continues in a forest designated by law as a wildlife sanctuary. A commercial eucalyptus plantation exists in the inner parts of the forest. Villagers vow to help, but they are spiritless.

Dong Yai forest: There is nothing to show that the Huay Nam Phud temple once blazed with the emotion of villagers who took their stand against the state's order for them to relocate from the forest reserve. Now there is nothing but brown leaves on musty ground.

This was the place where they fought against the Khor Chor Kor relocation and resettlement project. Now there is nothing left but a saffron robe in a small kuti, books strewn on the floor, and small statues of Buddha in disarray.

Further up into the Dong Yai forest, an unfinished monastery is slowly being overgrown by an army of tall trees. Nothing moves, nothing can be heard apart from the odd sound of a bird's voice.

Where are the guardians of the forest now?

Following the charges and lawsuits involving Phra Prachak, one of the leading critics of the resettlement project, forestry officials did not allow other monks to stay in the temple.

"I miss our activities in this temple," said Prachuab Chang-khwien, one of the founders of the villagers' environmental protection group.

"Here we discussed ways to keep our farmlands. Here, we planned how to protect the Dong Yai forest.

He said the villagers also missed the Buddhist ceremonies held here. "Phra Prachak gave sermons and taught them not to kill wildlife or destroy the forests."

No head, no direction: Phra Prachak left the monkhood and went to live incognito elsewhere after authorities filed several lawsuits against him. He was accused of felling trees and of encroaching on forest areas. When village leader Kham Butsri (see box story) of Baan Dong Yai was arrested and imprisoned, the members of the movement felt very empty; they needed to have leaders to continue protecting the Dong Yai forest. "We are waiting for our leaders," villagers said.

"When they return, our movement will be alive again."

But Prachuab and his friends are busy facing the court cases against 23 of its members. He has been discourage by the unfair treatment from the authorities, but he has vowed he will not give up.

"We are poor," he said. "The forest is our source of life. We conserve the forest and we are arrested.

"The illegal loggers continue cutting the trees, but we face lawsuits and arrest," said Prachuab.

A questionable deal: Nine years ago, the Forestry Department declared the luxuriant Dong Yai forest as "severely degraded." After this, the Forestry Department awarded private firms commercial eucalyptus plantation concessions inside the Dong Yai, at a rental price of 10 baht per rai per year.

The Forestry Department ignored the villagers who said that the forest was lush.

Ironically, in December 1996, the Forestry Department officially announced the Dong Yai forest reserve as a wildlife sanctuary, which meant the forest was rich with wildlife and trees and had a good ecosystem.

Trekking through the forest revealed large swathes of eucalyptus plantations. The Forestry Department refused to say whether the concessions were revoked after the forest was classified as a wildlife sanctuary.

One forester said that concessions are normally withdrawn for control plantation expansions.

"In many cases, illegal activities inside the fertile area happen," Prachuab said.

But the concessions cannot be revoked just like that. According to forestry officials there should be some sort of compromise since these firms have already invested their money. Another cause of worry is that the roads of the eucalyptus plantations can be used for transporting illegal logs out of the forest.

Prachuab said: "But even more cause for concern is that commercial plantations in the fertile forests will result in changes to the ecosystem.

Quiet smiles: Officials, villagers, and NGO representatives in the area say that illegal logging continues unabated in Dong Yai.

Officials of the Dong Yai wildlife sanctuary at Huay Nam Phud said that there are many convenient routes that helps loggers to transport timber out of the forest.

"This is a newly-established wildlife sanctuary so, we do not have enough officials and employees to look after it.

"We cannot have our people watching every route. At present, we have three small units on the edge of the forest in the area of the Buri Ram province.

"But it's not enough. So far, we have been able to arrest very few people and we have only been able to confiscate very few logs," Prachuab added.

He pointed out that the poor record of arrests is an ironic contrast to the fact that people have long known which villagers have been cutting trees in the Dong Yai forest for years.

When queried how illegal logging can continue, forestry officials smiled quietly.

Naming names: Watchful villagers, including Prachuab, points to villagers in the Baan Sook Samrang and the Ban Lam Nang Rong of Non Din Daeng district as being professional (well-practised) log poachers. They also finger the villagers of Baan Kok Petch and of Baan Don Nang Gharm in the Pha Kham district of Buri Ram province.

"Now, these people have been equipped with modern communications equipment and weapons by influential groups, traders and officials," he said.

At first, village environmental groups reported illegal activities to forestry officials and to the police. However, the lack of any action or response caused the watchdogs to lose heart.

The villagers remember with fondness the ad hoc police team under Lt Gen Prathin Santiprapop, which was responsible for suppressing illegal logging nationwide.

"They were very helpful. In their time, a large number of illegal log poachers were arrested. But then our village leaders were arrested and faced a lawsuit. When Uncle Kham was jailed, there was no more police activity. I do not understand why this happened. Everyone knows that the plundering of Dong Yai continues," he said.

Patcharee Kuanchai, a volunteer of the Community Forest Project with several villages in the Pha Kham district fear that, aside from trees being cut, there is also wildlife hunting.

The fight continues: Prachuab and other villagers confirmed that they will help the authorities to fight illegal logging, though the forest is officially owned by the state, not them.

He said: "We believe that the officials of this wildlife sanctuary support conservation. We believe that they love and value the forests, not just the trees.

"We can cooperate with them and protect the forest. But there are many times when we have to be quick.

"Log poaching groups move out as much logs as possible at this time while the sanctuary remains ill-equipped and the villagers who oppose logging are busy facing lawsuits.

"Once Uncle Kham comes out from prison, things will be better; our morale will go nowhere but up," he said.