From: ssg9328@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Samart Srijumnong)
Subject: Forestry Dept to change stance (fwd: Bkk Post Jan 28)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 07:38:16 GMT
Keywords: Thailand


From kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th Wed Jan 27 15:42:20 1993
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From: Kamol Hengkietisak <kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th>
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To: post-thai@ipied.tu.ac.th
Subject: Bangkok Post Jan 28: Forestry Dept to change stance
Status: RO

 
IN what appears to be a softening of its stance on popular 
participation in the decision-making, the Forestry Department said 
yesterday it must adapt to "new ideas" which seek to give rural 
people rights and responsibilities over the management of natural 
resources.
 
"Rural people have a voice which cannot be ignored any longer," 
said the Deputy Director General of the Forestry Department, 
Bhannalert Ratchatakul.
 
Mr Bhannalert was delivering the opening speech at a workshop 
entitled "Policy and Legislation in Community Forestry" attended 
by foresters of more than 20 countries.
 
He cited the failure of the military-oriented khor jor kor (land 
resettlement) programme.
 
The state of affairs where the framing of forest policy and 
legislation is   exclusively in the hands of high government 
officials cannot be allowed to continue much longer, he said. 
 
"People no longer accept policies and programmes aimed at 
improving their situation, and probably developed in good faith, 
which do not take into account their needs and wishes," he said.
 
Dr Somsak Sukwong, director of the Regional Community Forestry 
Training Centre, said the Forestry Department's new stance is 
welcome even though it has come rather late.
 
He said: "The world has been moving towards decentralisation in 
the management of natural resources. In the past, the Forestry 
Department's focus has been on reafforestation without regard for 
people's rights, and that's why it failed to preserve the forest. 
It is just starting to learn its lesson."
 
He said he is not very optimistic that the changes will be 
"full-scale."
 
"There must still be high-ranking officials who stick to the old 
thinking, do not believe in the idea of the coexistence of man and 
the forest, and lack confidence in the ability of villagers to 
manage and preserve the forests themselves," he said.
 
He cited the failure of the forestry village programme.
 
"It might have been successful if the villagers had been allowed 
to own the natural resources. But they were never allowed to. They 
just serve as labourers and therefore do not much care about the 
forests."
 
There are the problems of tree felling and log smuggling in 
forestry villages.
 
"It might be better, after villagers are relocated to such 
villages, if the Forestry Department promotes their well-being," 
he said.
 
Dr Somsak said Thailand should play a positive role in forestry 
management in the region.
 
"Thailand is in a position to educate other developing nations in 
the region such as Cambodia and Burma. We have a lot of experience 
to offer. There are many lessons for the less-developed to learn 
from Thailand," he said.

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