I want the forests back. I don't want trees to be cut. A question may arise regarding how possible it is that there are two perspectives of hilltribes which are contradictory to each other. In fact, coverage of Karens in the local press is not always rosy. Karens are represented as illegal labourers and murderers.
Murderers are cruel.
But when we say Karens are cruel, it gives a different picture. Presenting hilltribe stories from the insiders' perspective, TST clearly demonstrates a different viewpoint from the general news. Hilltribe people are no longer seen as the ones who destroy the environment or the ones who always commit crimes. But it must be acknowledged that major flaws concerning news reports on hilltribes still remain. Front-page headlines have employed violent words with heavy racial overtones, representing hilltribe people as ugly outsiders whom Thais cannot trust.