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Anand calls for fair treatment



Anand calls for fair
 treatment

 Mon place their hope in respected abbot

 Sanitsuda Ekachai

 In the wake of rising nationalism against illegal aliens, former prime
 minister Anand Panyarachun expressed sympathy for ethnic minorities in
 Thailand and criticised the authorities for violating their basic human
 rights.

 Withholding Thai citizenship from long-time ethnic residents will cause
 more social harm than good to the country, he said.

 Mr Anand's stature itself shows how Thailand can benefit from giving
 equal opportunities to ethnic residents.

 "My ancestors were Mon who came to Thailand during the reign of King
 Rama III," said Mr Anand during a visit to Ban Wangga, an ethnic Mon
 village on the Thai-Burmese border in Sangklaburi district,
 Kanchanaburi.

 The village of 5,000 families have been living in Thailand for more than
 50 years. Although their second and third generations were born in
 Thailand, they have not been granted Thai citizenship. They are not
 allowed to leave the areas unless seriously sick and in need of hospital
 care. Their education is also limited to only Mathayom 3 or junior high
 school.

 Despite their insecure status, the Mon at Wangga are living in peace
 thanks to moral leadership from a highly respected Buddhist monk,
 Luang Por Uttama, who provides the community with basic amenities
 and whose clout protects them from state harassment.

 The people there, however, fear persecution when the elderly charismatic
 monk passes away.

 Mr Anand spoke his mind during a cultural trip to Sangklaburi organised
 by Siam Tyre Pcl to study the role of Karen and Mon in ancient warfare
 of old Siam-a contribution unrecognised by state history.

 In order to dismantle ethnic discrimination, the public needs to
 understand that ethnic groups' participation helped defend and build the
 Thai nation, said well-known archaeologist Srisak Wallibhotama, who
 led the cultural tour.

 Khunying Supatra Masdit, minister of the PM's Office, said she would
 ask the Interior Ministry to look into the citizenship problem of the Mon
 at Ban Wangga.

 The problem of ethnic discrimination is not limited to the Mon at Ban
 Wangga, said Mr Anand. "It's true with every ethnic group in Thailand,
 particularly the hilltribes.

 "They are painted as forest destroyers which is untrue if we study their
 traditional farming patterns. The problem stems from the government's
 way of thinking, which treats them as second-class citizens and this leads
 to many social problems," he said.

 The government has paid little attention to the problem of ethnic
 persecution. "This is not a political, but a human rights problem."

 Unlike past traditional practices of old Siam that allowed ethnic groups to
 be part of the society while maintaining their cultural identity, Thailand's
 discrimination against ethnic minorities stemmed from the government's
 national security policies which viewed minorities with mistrust.

 True nationalism, commented Mr Anand, must be one that respects
 others' differences while fostering social harmony among different groups
 in society.

 The new constitution, he added, also recognises the ethnic minorities'
 right to preserve their cultural identity as well as their right to manage 
their
 local natural resources.

Bangkok Post (Nov 16, 1999)