Report from Thailand

Yan: Well... I was there to visit my relatives and friends you know, planning to celebrate the New Year.

Zhonnet: How long were you there before the Tsunami hit?

Zhonnet: What was the reaction of Thai residents?

Yan: They were shocked, you can see sadness everywhere. But people throughout the country volunteered to help out. It is one of those amazing times when people realized their potential of
self-organization and did not even bother to wait for
the government to step in.

Temporary shelters were set up immediately right after the tsunami using whatever available materials. Grassroots organizations like the Phuket Environmental Protection Group (PEP) are doing a great job in helping the community of fishermen repair boats, houses and other means of living. Temporary settlements are being built in a matter of days... the decision is spontaneous and collective.

In terms of money, most people make donations, but the rich were expected to donate in proportion to their income (laughs).
A millionaire tennis star was severely criticized by the entire population for making a donation of $ 250. The reason being that if he has millions, then he should give in millions. All this happens without the government imposing a progressive income-tax law!

This makes you wonder if spontaneous Emergent behavior in humans can ever happen at all without Emergency.

In an emergency, the politicians are too busy with themselves to do any harm to the public. When that happens, people once again have the time and freedom to do things for themselves without having to be "represented."

Zhonnet: What was the government’s response like?

Yan: Once the politicians were back on their heels, their main issue was tourism.

The area where the tsunami hits, is the southwestern part of Thailand, where you have the multi-million dollar tourist business going. Phuket, Khao lak, and Pangna are the three most lucrative tourist areas. "We must restore the tourist industry at all cost" is what I always heard over and over again on the state-run TV. So, now we have a whole bunch of people being kicked out of their own land to make way for the development of tourism.

For example, the Moken community that's been living on Pratong Island for more than a hundred years was now being forced to relocate from their settlement because of the high demands of international tourists. The process is quite typical; first the government designated the area as "National Parks" (thus, stripping away the locals' rights to their land). Then they invite international investors to bid on building resorts on the park. Then the profit is divided between the government officials and the investors. Finally, the area is then certified as "developed".

You should be careful when donating money for Tsunami relief, be sure that the organization you are donating to knows for whom your money is going to.

Zhonnet: What can people in the US do to help?

Yan: Well... first, you can tell your government to save your tax dollars for your healthcare plans, and pull back all military gun ships, helicopters, fighter planes, and aircraft carrier sent to Utapao Air Base in Thailand right after the tsunami. We don't need these expensive toys!

Zhonnet: Where can we donate money?

Yan: You should send your donation directly to:
Phuket Environmental Protection Group (PEP)

contact: makrood@yahoo.com
Address and contact person
Miss Sirinee Yomana
156 Yaowarat road. Ampur Muang, Phuket Thailand 83000
Donation account
Bank : Krung Thai Bank, Rasda road branch
Account number : 819-0-01541-9
Account name Supa Jirapattarapimon, Budsaracom Eyalsakul, Benjarong Suksirisombat


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		Yan Boon-Long A.N.D. Project Coordinator Reporting from Thailand An Interview by Zhonnet Harper
		Zhonnet: Yan, what brought you to Thailand during this time? Yan: Well... I was there to visit my relatives and friends you know, planning to celebrate the New Year. Zhonnet: How long were you there before the Tsunami hit? Yan: 3 days. Zhonnet: What was the reaction of Thai residents? Yan: They were shocked, you can see sadness everywhere. But people throughout the country volunteered to help out. It is one of those amazing times when people realized their potential of self-organization and did not even bother to wait for the government to step in. Temporary shelters were set up immediately right after the tsunami using whatever available materials. Grassroots organizations like the Phuket Environmental Protection Group (PEP) are doing a great job in helping the community of fishermen repair boats, houses and other means of living. Temporary settlements are being built in a matter of days... the decision is spontaneous and collective. In terms of money, most people make donations, but the rich were expected to donate in proportion to their income (laughs). A millionaire tennis star was severely criticized by the entire population for making a donation of $ 250. The reason being that if he has millions, then he should give in millions. All this happens without the government imposing a progressive income-tax law! This makes you wonder if spontaneous Emergent behavior in humans can ever happen at all without Emergency. In an emergency, the politicians are too busy with themselves to do any harm to the public. When that happens, people once again have the time and freedom to do things for themselves without having to be "represented." Zhonnet: What was the government’s response like? Yan: Once the politicians were back on their heels, their main issue was tourism. The area where the tsunami hits, is the southwestern part of Thailand, where you have the multi-million dollar tourist business going. Phuket, Khao lak, and Pangna are the three most lucrative tourist areas. "We must restore the tourist industry at all cost" is what I always heard over and over again on the state-run TV. So, now we have a whole bunch of people being kicked out of their own land to make way for the development of tourism. For example, the Moken community that's been living on Pratong Island for more than a hundred years was now being forced to relocate from their settlement because of the high demands of international tourists. The process is quite typical; first the government designated the area as "National Parks" (thus, stripping away the locals' rights to their land). Then they invite international investors to bid on building resorts on the park. Then the profit is divided between the government officials and the investors. Finally, the area is then certified as "developed". You should be careful when donating money for Tsunami relief, be sure that the organization you are donating to knows for whom your money is going to. Zhonnet: What can people in the US do to help? Yan: Well... first, you can tell your government to save your tax dollars for your healthcare plans, and pull back all military gun ships, helicopters, fighter planes, and aircraft carrier sent to Utapao Air Base in Thailand right after the tsunami. We don't need these expensive toys! Zhonnet: Where can we donate money? Yan: You should send your donation directly to: Phuket Environmental Protection Group (PEP) contact: makrood@yahoo.com Address and contact person Miss Sirinee Yomana 156 Yaowarat road. Ampur Muang, Phuket Thailand 83000 Donation account Bank : Krung Thai Bank, Rasda road branch Account number : 819-0-01541-9 Account name Supa Jirapattarapimon, Budsaracom Eyalsakul, Benjarong Suksirisombat