Pink Aew Laungaramsri
Green Agenda & The Impact on
Land Relations Thailand
Outline
1. Counterinsurgency and the Birth of national parks as political forests
2. Neoliberalization of conservation and the violent implication
3. Green Militarization of protected areas
4. The impacts on land relations
Counterinsurgency and the Birth of national parks as political forests
National Park, product of cold war.
Insurgency. Example: 1962 Khao Yai
National Park, communist insurgents base.
There are 10 another national park throughout Thailand
Counter insurgency by Thailand
government. Example: Kaeng Krachan National Park.
Forest preservation aimed to counter and prevent insurgency.
Neoliberalization of conservation and the violent implication
Middle class consumption of nature, leading to creation of National Park. Reserved for middle class only, pressing local and poor people
surrounding.
National park : consumptive land, separated from productive land.
Burning of Karen houses by Kraeng Krachan Park Rangers. “Illegal alien” related to “Karen army”. Violent approach by Thai forces
Green Militarization of protected areas
The use of military and para-miltary in pursuit of conservation practices.
drving factors:
a. Authoritarian, illustrated by land
reclamation by Thai forces.local people = enemy of the nation
Resistance from local inhabitants
The impacts on land relations
Plan to build a statue inside national Park.
Video clip by government, stated that community in the forest is the biggest problem for national park conservation, amounting two millions people in total.
A dictator seen as a hero, local seen as adversaries of the nature preservation.
Political forest to forest for people. Locals are recognized as main actor for nature preservation (democratic).