Life in a brothel

I’m sorry that I’ve been absent for so long! I’ve been working on my final project, which is a human rights report, for roughly 14 hours every day. On November 25, I got into a wan with the dream team: Kati, Josh, Tommy, Brodie, Ajaan Ooh, P’Joy, and myself. We went to Roi-Et province, where we stayed in a nice hotel. The room that I shared with Kati had a bathtub, a western-style toilet, and a t.v: it was one of the nicest places I’ve stayed at during my time in Thailand. However, it was also a brothel. An entire wing of the hotel was full of prostitutes, and at night they all flocked to the lobby of the hotel. It was so strange to stay in a hotel that was also part brothel because the hotels in Bangkok won’t even allow Thai people to stay in them in fear that Thai people are prostitutes. It was quite an experience.

The next day, we spoke to the Sangsawat family whose house was destroyed by the transmission line that carries a reserve of electricity from the Nam Theun 2 project in Laos to Thailand. The Electricity Generating authority of Thailand (EGAT) threatened the family multiple times because they were unwilling to give up their land. EGAT took Paiboon, the father to jail and threatened him, it forged the mother’s signature on the compensation document, and it brought local police to the family’s home to force them off of their land.

The family lost their house, their land, and their livelihood. They used to sell ducks, chickens, fruit, and fish, but can no longer do so because they do not have the appropriate land. Currently, the family has Bt 2, 000,000 in debt, which is an amount that they will never be able to pay off. Their lives were ruined because of this development project, and it was absolutely heart wrenching as the father began to cry while telling us that he couldn’t sleep because the pain in his heart was too much to bear. At one point, the entire family started crying because their lives and happiness have been stolen.

Interestingly enough, their home was the only one affected by the 500 kV transmission line. We all started to ask if it’s o.k. if one family is destroyed so that thousands can lead more developed lives. I came to the conclusion that it’s never acceptable for anyone to suffer for anyone else’s’ happiness and comfort. Furthermore, we had an exchange with EGAT, where they told us that they could not do anything to help the family since the project is completed. When we asked why they were able to avoid a dinosaur park (dinosaurs are a big deal in Thailand; there was a dinosaur craze in the 90’s. I wish I were joking.) but not the family’s home, EGAT responded that villagers wanted the park to be preserved. EGAT then said that it spent Bt 20,000,000 to buy the villagers’ off. Thus, the Sangsawats were not important enough to adequately buy-off. I just can’t understand how EGAT could do this. How is it that so many governments and companies around the world care more about natural resources, money, and development than human beings?

I started to get really sad that during my time in Thailand I have witnessed so much unnecessary suffering. People who have had their lives, communities, and families torn apart in the name of development. Yet at the same time, I have met some of the most extraordinary people that I’ve ever met in my life while in Thailand. People who are fighting for their lives and rights with the most passion and enthusiasm I have ever seen in my life. People who are kind, intelligent, and generous. People who have faced enormous adversity in life, but who still view life as a beautiful thing worth fighting for. There are so many people in this world who have the capacity to change the world for the better, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of them.

For the next couple of days, until the 29, we piled into the wan everyday and searched for other households negatively affected by the transmission line. We went to all 19 sub-districts in Roi-Et province, but we did not meet anyone else. We then returned to Khon Kaen, and Kati and I immediately began work on a human rights report for the Sangsawat family. I’ve been working tirelessly on this report, and it is coming to an end. The plan was to send it to International Rivers, an NGO that investigates communities affected by hydropower projects in Southeast Asia. We sent them a draft of the report, and tonight I found out that they are planning on sending our report directly to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB is responsible for the planning and implementation of the Nam Theun 2 project. I’m beyond ecstatic knowing that all of my hard work is paying off. I really hope that this makes the ADB re-evaluate the case of the Sangsawat family because they need to be adequately compensated for all that they have lost.

The other night, I went to Central Plaza, which is a brand new mall in Khon Kaen. A bunch of us went for the grand opening, and I was so scared as soon as we entered the mall. It was the largest mall I’ve ever been to in my life, and it was all so fancy. It was the first time I’ve really experienced culture shock. It was funny to be confronted with what awaits me when I return to home. The bright lights, fancy shops, and polished floors were all a bit much for me to handle without becoming overwhelmed. I have less than a week left in Thailand, and a packed schedule awaits me. There are things planned every day, but I’m prepared to spend as much time with my friends as possible, and I want to soak in everything about this country so that I can bring it back with me to the U.S.