A week ago, I went to Na Nong Bong, which is a village in Loei Province (where I had my orientation!). Loei Province is known for its beautiful mountains that cover the entire landscape, and Na Nong Bong is no exception. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in my life (I’m so sorry, I forgot to bring my camera, but I promise to steal some from my friends) with all of its green, rolling mountains that reflect the sun’s brilliant colors throughout the day. Sadly, the landscape of the village is tainted by a mountain that has been deforested, and all that is there is a mine, which looks like a massive dirt hole. Not only is it aesthetically unpleasing to the eye, but it also has deadly affects on the village and the surrounding environment.
Na Nong Bong is full of some of the most wonderful people that I have ever met in Thailand. They are spirited, willing to fight for their rights until the very end, generous, kind, funny, and compassionate beings. This is why it is so devastating to hear that people continue to use the water to bathe in and to wash their dishes even though the Office of Public Health told them that their water is contaminated with cyanide and heavy metals (they can’t afford clean water), that 54 individuals in the village have been diagnosed with cyanide poisoning, that their rice yields have decreased, that they are afraid to eat the produce they grow, and that their way of life has been destroyed by the mine. To oppose the mine and all that it has done to them, the villagers have formed the group, People Who Conserve Their Hometown, which tries to spread awareness, writes letters to government officials asking for help, and protests the mine.
One day, we had an exchange with the Office of Public Health, where the representative told us that the villagers weren’t concerned about problems relating to cyanide since the kind of cyanide poisoning they have, which is supposedly contact cyanide, can be urinated out of the body in 7 days. She also told us that the government needs to go into the village and educate the villagers on the issues posed by the gold mine because most of them only have 4th grade educations, and that the Office is scared of releasing the results of the vegetable and plant contamination test because of all the backlash they received after making it public that the water’s contaminated.
It was the most disheartening exchange that I’ve ever had because this was the one Office that should’ve at least pretended to be on the side of the villagers. It should be protecting the villagers’ health, but it’s so clear that the mine has bought the Office off, which it has done to many other branches of the government. I don’ think that I’ve ever been that enraged before, but I just couldn’t believe that these villagers are literally fighting for their lives, and that no one is willing to offer them any help. It’s disgusting to know that people and organizations can act with absolutely no compassion.
Yet the majority of my stay at Na Nong Bong was anything but disheartening. It was one of the best times that I’ve ever had: it was filled with laughter, love, happiness, and a sense of community. 2 mornings, I woke up at 4 am with my meh and paw and went to the market with them (we bought really large rats that still had their intestines intact) since they own the village store. It was really fun to go with them and see all of the food being sold since it is so different from anything that can be found in the U.S.: pig heads, rats, fried, green jelly, etc. Also, one night Liz, my roommate, and I went to work with our parents in the rubber fields. They systematically cut the bark on the rubber trees in a downward spiral, but only on one side of the tree, so that the rubber runs down into a dish. I was terrible at it, and basically hacked away at the poor tree until I saw some rubber meekly dribble out, but Liz was a pro at it. I only attempted to help twice, but then stopped because I was afraid that they would lose money if I continued to maul their trees.
I was also able to go on a hike up to a cave on the top of a mountain! The trek was quite impressive, and I was proud of myself for making it! It started out with A LOT of concrete steps, and then it transitioned into nothing at all…Just hiking up a mountain. As it became steeper, wooden ladders were placed on the ground, but it was so steep that the ladders just sat on the ground. At the end, we essentially crawled to the top. However, it was all worth it because the cave was the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life. We walked around in the dark until we came to a huge opening where a stream of brilliant white light shone through a hole at the very top of the mountain. Inside of this opening was also a huge statue of Buddha. It was probably the most surreal experience I’ve ever had.
After a 5 night stay at Na Nong Bong, we went to a village that is facing the possibility of having the first copper mine in all of Thailand be constructed right near their community. They were warned about this potential project by Na Nong Bong villagers, and have formed a group to oppose the mine. It amazes me that the people of Na Nong Bong are not simply fighting for their own cause, their also fighting for all other people who are, have been, or will be oppressed by the construction of mines. Although the gold mine that pertains to their village is their main priority, they are just as serious, dedicated, and passionate about helping others in similar situations. Thailand is a much more collectivist society than the U.S., and I thought that I would find myself feeling constrained and forced to conform to “fit in,” but instead I find Thai society to be refreshing because people are not so focused on just themselves.
I only have one more month in Thailand, and with the end so near, I am simultaneously giddy to return home and terrified to go back. I am afraid to leave a country that I have fallen deeply in love with, and I can’t imagine being without the 26 other students who are currently here with me. It’s so funny to think of how apprehensive I was to come to Thailand, and now how those same feelings are resurfacing when thinking about returning to the U.S. So many of my loved ones are in the U.S., and the thought of seeing them puts a smile on my face and makes me overwhelmingly happy. All I know is that I need to treasure every moment that I have left in Thailand because I will soon leave this country that has given me infinitely more than I ever could have imagined.
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