NOTABLE NEWS - A silent majority

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Bangkok Post - June 6, 1999

A silent majority

Namo Japo

Since before the turn of the century, ethnic peoples fleeing wars and
hardship in Burma and Laos have sought asylum on Thai soil. Today, more
than
834,000 hilltribe people live throughout the northern Thai border areas,
according to a recent report by the Civil Registration Division of the
Local
Administration Department.

The main tribal groups are the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Akha, Lahu, Lisu,
Lau,
Tin, and Kamuk, comprising 78 percent of the total tribal population, or
774,316 people. The rest are Palaung, Tong Su, Thai Lue, Chinese Haw,
and
Thai Yai-a total of 59,088 people.

In addition, there are 157,718 Thais living in the mountains in the
North
and classified as "highlanders".

Due to their once prevalent movements across national borders, certain
Thai
authorities have accused tribal people of drug production, drug
trafficking,
and forest destruction. They have even been described as threats to
national
security.

More than 40 percent of Thailand's ethnic population do not have Thai
citizenship and, consequently, do not have legal rights to the land they
farm.

A recent gathering of tribal people and highlanders in Chiang Mai was
organised to urge authorities to look into their request for Thai
nationality and to uphold their basic human rights.