Guest guest Posted August 13, 2004 Report Share Posted August 13, 2004 ***************************Advertisement*************************** TechCentral http://star-techcentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/10/features/8591383 & sec=f\ eatures ________________________ Tuesday August 10, 2004 From poacher to farmer IN 1987, at the age of 23, Sompong Prajobjan was recruited by a chief poacher to go into the restricted forests of the Khao Yai National Park to cut agarwood. Like most Thais, Sompong goes by a nickname, Kuman, and had just quit the army. He had migrated from Nakhon Rachasima and settled down in Khok Saard village, one of the 100-odd villages circling the protected area. Kuman learnt ways to identify resin-rich Aquilaria trees and the cutting method. The many middlemen buying the precious heartwood created and sustained the community of poachers. “Almost everyone is a poacher at one time or other in the village. We poached wild animals for food but mostly we looked for agarwood to supplement our income,” he says. Back then, Kuman relished the thrill of dodging rangers and was recognised as a “star” poacher, topping the “most wanted” list of park enforcers. While inexperienced poachers collected bulky wood blocks, Kuman took only high quality agarwood as these were lighter and enabled him to outrun park rangers. His luck ran out after 15 years of collecting agarwood, in 2002. Caught for the first time and fined 7,000 baht (RM700), Kuman realised he could not afford another arrest. “I was surrounded by many rangers and I couldn’t escape like before,” recalls the 39-year-old. A middleman who owned the biggest distillation plant in Pachinburi bailed him out. To repay the debt, Kuman returned to the forest. It was a vicious debt cycle that enslaved the community. Kuman repaid half of the loan with his savings and turned to an outreach programme developed by WildAid. “WildAid staff convinced me to stop poaching. It was not an easy decision. I’m not sure if this is going to work but I’m getting older and I have three children to consider. Poaching is not the long-term solution to our future,” he says. Kuman still receives death threats from middlemen and traders in the syndicate. “They hate me for trying to convert the others but I’ll continue to convince them to stop poaching. We are poor and need help to break away from this practice,” says a determined Kuman. Since early 2003, Kuman and 22 other former poachers have turned to farming to sustain their families. They grow vegetables, mushrooms and flowers on a leased farm. They earn 4,000 baht (RM400) each month from the sale of mushrooms. The group is also developing a home-stay programme for domestic and foreign tourists. WildAid plans to turn Kuman’s farm into a training centre for former poachers. Project co-ordinator Woraphol Thanyathara says similar programmes were initiated at eight villages around Khao Yai. Today, Kuman may stand out like a sore thumb among his community but he stands tall. He no longer depends on handouts from middlemen and is making a living, legally. <A HREF= " /lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/10/features/8468647 & sec=features " >The stench of greed</A><BR> <A HREF= " /lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/10/features/8571664 & sec=features " >The Thai link in poaching</A><BR> <A HREF= " /lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/10/features/8504528 & sec=features " >High volume of trade in agarwood</A><BR><p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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