Happy Seed Movement

ASEAN Youth Statement

2009-04-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

We are the youth of Southeast Asia—young persons from different organizations in eight ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—plus South Korea). We would like to make our voices heard, as the youth of the region, the next generation who will eventually inherit it.

We met in Bangkok from 16-19 February 2009 to learn and share about ASEAN, and about issues and concerns that we face in our respective countries, the ASEAN region and as young persons. We discussed about the issues we are already working on: natural disaster management, peace-building, human rights and democracy, natural resource management and food security, and globalization and gross national happiness (GNH).

We affirm our common identity as the youth of the ASEAN, bound by a shared destiny as neighbours. We are united as young persons who are bound by a common concern for our countries, the region and the peoples. We celebrate the diversity of our roots, which are a source of our strength that serves to highlight the need for solidarity and unity as a region.

We, as youth of the ASEAN region, would like to assert that:

As ASEAN transforms itself into a more formal organization of states, it must set and lead in higher standards and mechanisms which will promote the welfare of its peoples. These standards and mechanisms need proper and full implementation so that words and ideas become reality.

ASEAN, as a regional organization, must address all forms of oppression of peoples in different countries in the region, who continue to endure curtailment of freedoms and violations of human rights different forms and degrees.

ASEAN, in order to be a true community of caring societies, must be based on a framework of human rights, sustainable development and peace-building.

ASEAN and its members must recognize and support the role and involvement of the youth in social development at the community, national and regional level.

We also commit ourselves to work together as young people in the Southeast Asian Region, and form a growing network of individuals an organizations who will engage ASEAN as young people on various issues and concerns.

Particularly, we would like to make the following specific recommendations:

On Environment and Natural Resource Management:

We urge the ASEAN Senior officials on the Environment (ASOEN) to work transparently with civil society (NGOs, people’s parties, mass organizations and independent organizations) in giving pressure on investors to practice business ethics and internalize social and environmental costs in their projects and production processes based on sound environmental and social impact assessment (EIA and SIA).

We propose ASOEN to set up standards for its member countries to empower local people to raise awareness, for livelihood development, alternatives and participatory natural resource management.

We demand governments of ASEAN countries to enforce balanced economic policies consistent with ecological and socio-cultural values, which will improve the right of local people to access and manage natural resources based on local knowledge.

On Human Rights and Democracy

We want an ASEAN Human Rights body that is independent from member governments, in order to have a fair and unbiased investigation of violations in member countries.
We demand that the ASEAN Human Rights body must protect and promote the rights of youth and students (for example, the rights to organize and conduct human right campaigns, to form student governments and organizations, to freedom of political beliefs and participation, to expression, to peaceful assembly, to access to education, academic freedom, to decent work, and to human rights education, among others)
We urge ASEAN and its members to protect and promote all human rights, which requires greater participation of peoples in Democracy.

On Globalization and GNH

We urge ASEAN to promote and support youth participation in ASEAN policy-making, and decision-making.
1. ASEAN must support the formation of Youth networks, exchanges and solidarity.
2. ASEAN and its members must promote and support youth voluntarism.

We urge ASEAN to strengthen and promote the respect and diversity of local culture.
ASEAN must promote and support alternative education and local knowledge curriculum.
ASEAN must support people-driven policy and increase spending for youth social services.
ASEAN must promote and support sustainable youth entrepreneurship.
ASEAN must protect and promote local product markets from the impact of globalization on food production.
ASEAN must protect the local youth workers from exploitation resulting from globalisation.

On Peace-building

We believe that ASEAN’s peace-building efforts must be based on human rights framework.

- ASEAN should promote and set up a Youth Network for peace-building and peace education (curriculum that stimulate youths to respect diversity, multiracial perspectives)
- ASEAN should promote fully the participation of ASEAN people, especially young people, to shape their future and respect their self-determination at all levels with compromise.
- ASEAN’s role should control foreign intervention in terms of militarization and free trade. ASEAN should insist each country’s regional to use peaceful settlement to their internal affairs.

On Natural Disaster Management

In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.

• For Implementation of Socio-Cultural Community, there should be the program for Environmental awareness and education for grass-root people.
• The economic co-integration should have a standard for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA)
• To empower the activities of ASEAN Senior Officials On Environment (ASOEN) Focusing on civil society rather than ministerial levels and revise the agreement on “non-interference among internal affairs of member states” which is the great block for implementing the ASEAN’s mechanisms.

22 February 2009
Bangkok, Thailand

Voice of Salween Cry

2009-01-21T23:16:00.000-08:00

19th August 2008

I’m tired of hearing the voices of cars engine and the smell of car smoke. I want to go back to my hometown where there are a lot of mountains, big trees, green forests, the song of animals and river wave, but it is difficult for me to go back to my home. I was born in Mong Pan Township, in Southern Shan State, at a place 31 miles from the Salween River. The livelihood of residents of Mong Pan is based on agriculture and fishing.

The Salween River is 2,800 Kilometers long and the longest free-flowing river in Southern Asian. The Salween River has some of the world’s richest biodiversity with one hundred different fish species. It supports many local people who rely on the river for transportation and their economy. They all depend on the Salween River for their livelihoods. The Salween River runs through Shan State and along Thai-Burma border, many ethnic groups, including the Shan, Pa O, Karen, Kareni, Lahu, Akha, Wa, Mon, Padang, Lisu, Palaung, Yindalay and other ethnic groups live in traditional communities along the river. Unfortunately, we have not been able to live on our land in peace. Dams in many countries are used to provide water for farming and to control flooding. Many big hydropower dams are producing the electricity for development of the country but they also have a lot of negative impacts on the ecosystem, river and society.

Burma’s military regime, the Thai energy companies and Chinese companies have signed agreements for the development of the Ta Sang Dam on the Salween River. Thai Contraction Company MDX has been preparing for the construction of the Ta sang dam. It will produce 7,100 megawatts, and will be 288 meter high and it will be the highest dam in South East Asia. These projects have not benefited the local people because the SPDC has sold all of the electricity that is being produced to Thailand. The SPDC is able to get money from selling the electricity to make their military stronger and for cleaning ethnic people from their land and human right abuses.

In 2007 Thai company and the SPDC celebrated the building of the Ta Sang Dam. For security of their planning, SDPC forced our village and other villages around the dam area to move out of our farms, homes and must move to military controlled relocation site near main town and SPDC camp. SPDC gave orders to us to move; also they gave us the date we must leave. After that SPDC burnt down our villages, houses and farms and killed our animals. Most of us are farmers, so we depend on this area to farm. When SPDC came and forced us, we had to run for escape with our family so we couldn’t take our home, farm, animals and the main food like rice was left behind. We had no money to move in the city for new lives. We lost our property and also suffered from severe depression and helplessness, so we went into the deep forest. In the forest we didn’t have shelter, medicine, equipment and mosquito net to protect us in the night time. Some of us were killed by malaria disease and other problems. In the forest it is difficult for living. We were afraid to use fire because SPDC will see the smoke and will follow us so every second we felt not safe. Many unlucky villagers were arrested, tortured, raped or killed.

SPDC cut down the teak trees to reconstruct roads and for their worker’s houses so we didn’t have more places to hide. If we heard SPDC entered the forest we had to move again and again until we migrated to Thailand. I lived in Thailand for many years and I had a chance to study more about environment. In the training, I focused on the dam projects that are close with my home town. At that time I knew more about our situation in Shan State that many people suffer from hydropower project. Before 1996 Mong Pan Township had about 43 villages and 30,000 villagers. Between 1996 and 2007, SPDC forced people to move out and just left only 21 villages and about half the population was gone. I had never known about many people will suffer abuse from SPDC. Before, I thought this only happened in my hometown, but it also happened around different parts of Shan State, other people lost their land. Over 1300 villages have gone and over 300,000 villagers have migrated to Thailand. We don’t have power to go against the SPDC military but I will try to tell my hopeless experiences to NGOs and UN community so they know our situation and pressure the SPDC to stop the human rights abuses and to conserve the environment.

Before I came to Thailand, I was hopeless and I had never known “What are Human rights”. Also many people in Burma didn’t know that they had rights to stay on their own land and to be safe. I am lucky that I have chance to study, so I will try hard to do my best. After I graduate from the training, I am going to go back to my hometown and give training to our people as much as I can and help our Salween River to flow free again.

By Hseng Jom

I wrote this diary when I was studied at SSSNY (School for Shan State Nationalities Youth). This is the first english diary in my life so I would like to express to our mekong friends and happy seed group to know what happen in Burma and let help us to see the freedom light.

GNH Activities

2009-01-18T19:57:00.000-08:00

Dear everyone,

Still a very Happy New Year from GNH Team, Thailand. Hope you have not forgotten about us.

I am not sure whether this will work but I attached announcements of two GNH activities in Bangkok.

27-30 Dasho Karma Ura and Ron Colman will be in Bangkok for a workshop.

And 29 January 13.00-17.00 they will give public presentations at SASIN Business School, Chulalongkorn University. Admission free. Please spread the news in your network.

Our aim is that the workshop will lead to the next step in long term planning in line with the Mekong region network meeting in Rayong. In February we expect more GNH planning during the postponed ASEAN People's Forum.

Let me know if you need more information. Later, 5th February, Roger Torrenti (France) will present the results of the Paradiso project (see website address in the attachment). Also our comments to the Paradiso Reference Document in line with the discussions on Youth employment during GNH3. Please join this presentation (free) and discussion if you are in Bangkok that day.

Best regards from busy team,
Hans

ASEAN Youths’ Preparatory Meeting for the ASEAN People Forum

2009-01-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Where: Garden of Fruition (Suan Nguen Mee Ma), Bangkok
When: 16-19 February, 2009

The three-day preparatory youths’ forum will be held from 16-19-11 February 2009 at Garden of Fruition, Bangkok to prepare young people from ASEAN countries for their participation at the ASEAN People Forum, to be held at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok from 20-22 February 2009.

The forum will be co-organized by ActionAid Thailand ,Thai Volunteer Service and RRAFA, where approximately 45 youths from ASEAN countries will participate and play an important role in the preparatory regional meeting. During a three day preparatory meeting, participating young people will have an opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding on ASEAN and its mechanisms (ASAEN Charter and three principal (political, economic and social) pillars) as a regional body that plays important role in the region. They will also have an opportunity to prepare for their participation at the ASEAN People Forum.

The objectives of Young People’s Participation at the ASEAN Youths’ Preparatory Regional Meeting are:

• To provide an opportunity for young people to share their experiences, good practices and models of successful youth led interventions in the region specifically related to key challenges faced by ASEAN people such as the food crisis, human rights and peace, energy and environmental crisis (natural resources management) and people participation

• To contribute to the formulation of measurable advocacy targets (specific targets/goals with indicators) for the governments at the regional level and ASEAN and present their recommendations at the ASEAN People Forum

• To establish preparation processes leading up to the ASEAN People Forum and to select youth representatives to meet with ASEAN leaders in a meeting in Chiang Mai

• To ensure follow-up mechanisms (in terms of sharing of outcomes/implementation of the recommendations of the Preparatory Meeting and the ASEAN People Forum) with wider groups of young people in the region, and to see follow up institutionalized in relevant organizations, youth network and projects in the region

• To promote the participation of young people, especially young women, in the governance of ASEAN and strengthen the institutionalization of meaningful participation of young people within civil society

APF Youth Network

2008-12-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

Hear the Voices of ASEAN Youth

Supaporn Chonnapataweep
Youth representative
APF/ASEAN Youth Network

APF/ASEAN Youth Network is the network of young people from ASEAN countries, particularly from the Greater Mekong Sub-region which is coordinated by Action Aid Thailand ,Thai Volunteer Service(TVS), RRAFA and Youth for Local Wisdom Network. The involvement is about 50 of young people from local community and urban area. Although we are from different countries and have different background but we do have something in common. We believe in youth power and when we go together is making this world were the better place.

The objective of ASEAN youth network are to provide an opportunity for young people to share their experiences, good practice and model of successful youth led interventions in the region especially related to key challenges faced by ASEAN people such as the food crisis, human right and peace, energy and environmental crisis (natural resources management) and people participation

Secondly is, to contribute to the formulation of measurable advocacy targets for the governments at the regional level and ASEAN and present their recommendation to the ASEAN leaders

Thirdly is, to promote the participation of young people, especially young women , in the governance of ASEAN and strengthen meaningful participation of young people within civil society

Last 2 month, I attended to Mekong Youth Camp for Social Development. This is the activity that held for Network of young people as a platform to share experiences and common concerns particularly on the food and energy crisis including peace, globalization, GNH movement and also discuss about the ASEAN Charter and the three pillars.

During the camp, after we reviewed ASEAN charter was having some concern about the charter as ASEAN is going to promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in. The question is ‘how to promote the participation and taken seriously from every sector…what’s about marginalized people, ethnic minority, urban poor or rural community?

ASEAN countries have a lot of diversity so the key that challenge the engagement is how to make the meaningful participation of the people in every sectors especially poor people who really face the problem. How would ASEAN do to get the voice from them?

However, we appreciate the improvement of ASEAN that you have an establishment of Senior Ministerial Meeting on youth, that’s the good initiate, but we still concern that it may not yet reach all the group of youth such as poor youth in rural area who couldn’t easily access to the information or someone who not capable to speak English so this must be very challenging to make the meaningful participation from all of us.

Youth and children are often treating as the second to adult although we are the right holder ourselves. We have been regarded as the next generation, the future but we don’t have to wait that long, we can start now so our recommendation is to create concrete mechanism to ensure the participation of youth especially the poor people and the Implementation of ASEAN which will have effect on people should ask for the agreement of people in every sectors.

Due to the financial crisis, it may causes social issue such as the unemployment crisis which would worsen the food situation in region so it would be very helpful to create concrete measures to cope the crisis and implement the social protection policy to guarantee the employment and recent living wage.

The issue in our community is not one’s responsibility, these happen from all of us and effect to everyone so we should solve the problem together and you should develop youth capability to joint activities among youth in ASEAN country, so we can share our experiences and be the co-worker to develop our region together ‘cause the sustainable growth is from the power of unity.

Youth March for Peace

2008-10-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

International youth conference stages event in Siem Reap

The Phnom Penh Post
September 25, 2008

MORE than 300 students from around the world who had gathered in Siem Reap for a six-day International Peace Conference marched peacefully through the streets of Siem Reab last Sunday, the International Day of Peace.

The students were given permission to march by officials last Friday, and, awhile there was a large contingent of police stationed along the route, the march was trouble-free, a colourful parade that attracted large crowds of onlookers at several vantage points.

The event was organized by Youth for Peace, and program assistant Sin Putheary told the Post, “The march in Siem Reap went very smoothly. We didn’t expect that more than 300 students would join us in this march, and when I walked with them throught the streets I felt so happy because I had a feeling at feeling at the moment that there is no more war in the world.”

One theme of the conference was that, while conventional wisdom has it that older men usually start wars while young men do the fighting, young people in some countries – of ten the uneducated and uninformed – can be active agents in the agitation to commence war, while in other countries it is the youth who are the champions of peace.

Before the Sunday march, students assembled at the Provincial Teacher Training College on Charles De Gaulle Boulevard. Youth for Peace Executive Director Long Khet told the gathering that an objective of the conference was to get youth from various countries recently war-torn, to share their ideas on how to find justice, peace and reconciliation.

Many of the participants at the conference were invited from counties that had recently experience war.

“We wanted the students to understand the root causes of the wars, and why the war happened. We want them to take advantage of their experiences of war by turning them into experience to help develop their country in the future,” Long Khet said.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s Chey Chap said, “It is an important conference that will help pave the way for youth to find peace and justice in their mind. The Cambodian government always tries its best to provide justice and find peace.”

Siem Reap Deputy Governor Mao Vuthy said, “Youth are seeking a way to turn a conflict culture into a peace culture. This conference is also seeking ways to develop the world in this 21st century.”

Project Yet to Bring Promised Prosperity

2008-10-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Vietnam News Service (18-09-2008)

HA NOI - The East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) - a 1,450km highwaylinking central Viet Nam with Laos, Thailand and Myanmar - whichopened two years ago has yet to boost trade equitably among countriesas anticipated.

Statistics released by Tien Sa Port in Da Nang City, revealed that inthe first five months of the year, of the 30,000 containers passingthrough the port, there were only 1,000 belonging to Lao enterprises.

According to Thai transport companies, provinces in Thailand’s north-east region each year transport around five million tonnes of cassava,one million tonnes of rice, one million tonnes of ore and 500,000tonnes of rubber latex via Vietnamese ports. However, in reality,freight companies prefer to transport goods through Bangkok ratherthan through Da Nang, which is just 500km away - 200km nearer than theThai capital.

Thai companies claim it takes them two days to transport goods to DaNang and they incur numerous fees. They also say goods take too longto clear customs at four border gates: Mukdahan, Savanakhet, Densavanand Lao Bao.

The Lao Bao border gate in particular has suffered administrativeproblems, admitted Chairman of the central Quang Tri Province’sPeople’s Committee Le Huu Phuc.
Currently, the "one-door" administrative policy has been piloted atLao Bao and Densavan border gates - the first in the Greater Mekongsub-region to apply the policy, which is designed to shorten the timeit takes to clear customs.

However, enterprises using the two gates are still subject to numerouscharges, such as the customs fee, the botanical quarantine feecollected by the Botanical Quarantine Agency and the border-crossingfee collected by border guards.

Aside from the cost, the process is also time-consuming, freightcompanies say.
The provincial People’s Committee is drafting a plan to simplify feecollection procedures for imports and exports.

Customs clearance for imports and exports at Viet Nam’s Lao Bao bordergate are also considered more complex than that in Laos and Thailand.

Another problem encountered by freight companies is that right-handvehicles are not allowed to travel in Viet Nam, according to Lam QuangMinh, Director of Da Nang City’s Investment Promotion Centre.

Despite the fact that transport ministers from Viet Nam, Laos andThailand signed an agreement to permit right-hand-drive vehicles totravel in EWEC countries, Minh says Vietnamese cars and lorries arenot allowed to enter Thailand, while right-hand-drive vehicles areonly permitted to enter Viet Nam’s Lao Bao special commercial andeconomic zone.

Phuc suggested that the Government and the Ministry of Finance (MoF)improve fee-collecting procedures by selling goods-transport ticketsthat covers the total cost of using a border gate.
The MoF and the General Department of Customs should also simplifyprocedures for the temporary import and re-export of goods, Phuc said.

The Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministryof Planning and Investment should issue concrete guidance onimplementing the memorandum of understanding on economic co-operationamong EWEC countries signed by Viet Nam, Laos and Thailand on December26 last year, he added. - VNS

MRC Countries Debate Hydropower Management

2008-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

By Vientiane Times

(Latest Update September 26, 2008)

More than 200 representatives from member countries of Mekong basin, domestic and international organisations along with the private sector are discussing how to sustain the development of hydropower dams in the Mekong region.

The discussion in Vientiane is hosted by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat for regional multi-stakeholder consultation on its hydropower programme. The meeting is taking place from September 25 to 27.

"Hydroelectricity has long been recognised as one of the cleanest, most sustainable and, in the long run, least expensive methods of generating power," said MRC Joint Committee member for the Lao PDR, Mr Chanthavong Saignasith.

He acknowledged there could be negative impacts associated with hydropower and said it was important the Lower Mekong countries were able to study the benefits and costs associated with dam construction before making decisions.

The MRC provided decision-makers in the four Lower Mekong countries with a sound knowledge platform, enabling them to assess the gains and impacts of each hydropower proposal in a basin-wide context, he said.

This included scientific input from many different fields and sources across the Mekong region and beyond, from village-level fisheries research to international navigation experience. The MRC sources and provides such data, and also assesses plans for various power-generating scenarios through integrated modelling tools.

"The MRC hydropower programme is being designed to assist this decision-making process, and to help set up mechanisms that can make sure countries' concerns are addressed as approved projects are implemented, " said Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat Jeremy Bird.
He said the creation of a framework for regional and cross-sector cooperation on hydropower gives great impetus to sustainable development in the Lower Mekong Basin .

"The MRC believes that developing cooperation and dialogue between countries, at multiple levels of society, can help ensure the growth of the hydropower industry is managed in a way that conserves environmental resources and the livelihoods of the people that depend on them," he said.

Acting MRC Communi-cations Officer Aiden Glendinning stressed the importance of consultation in the decision-making process.

"It is very important to understand that if a country wants to build a dam on the Mekong , it needs to write a letter to the MRC which we can pass on to other members for discussion and agreement," he said.

Mr Glendinning said at a press conference yesterday the MRC's role was to arrange meetings for the four members of the lower Mekong countries - Cambodia , Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam - to discuss the development of hydropower dams. China and Myanmar are dialogue partners of the MRC.

He said regarding the contribution to flow, 16 percent of water came from China, two percent from Myanmar , 18 percent from Cambodia , 35 percent from Laos , 18 percent from Thailand and 11 percent from Vietnam . The volume of water in the Mekong is about 475 cubic kilometres a year, which equals 6,500 cubic metres per person per year.

"Dams will block fish migration and create an unnatural situation for fish, but dams can also provide protection from flooding, store water during the rainy season for use in dry season agricultural activities, and produce electricity, " Mr Glendinning said.

"Meanwhile, you have to share the benefits. That means not only benefits for people near the reservoir, but you have to plan for the sustainability of hydropower and consider ways to help people who live downstream to benefit as well."

Presentations were made by participants from all stakeholder sectors, including national electricity enterprises from the MRC member states, environmental advocacy groups, developers, and national Mekong committees.

Hydropower industry experts from China and outside Asia also attended the consultative meeting. Various different perspectives emerged, and these will help inform the MRC hydropower programme and encourage wider consultation, thus contributing to development outcomes.

The 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness

2008-09-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

The Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) is pleased to announce the 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness, from November 24 to 26, 2008.

The conference will focus on themes related to GNH such as psychology, environment, community relations, education, health, living standard, governance, culture, time use and economy, and their indicators. Interested individuals, including government officials, academics, and NGO representatives, may attend the conference. Those who wish to present papers should submit abstracts and the paper by the end of October 2008.

The participants will have to make their own travel arrangement till Paro airport. CBS will be responsible for local transport from/to airport, and food and accommodation for four days, that is, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of November. Gratis visa will be granted to participants. International participants will have to pay a fee of US $ 300, and discounted fee of Nu. 5,000 for the SAARC nationals.

Inquiries about the conference may be directed to Dorji Penjore at 975-2-335872 or dorpen71@gmail. com. for more information please visit: http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/main/highlight_detail.php?id=41

[LaoFAB] Border trade: China-Laos-Thailand

2008-09-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Quote: "The Chinese government has rented from Laos more than 90,000
rai of land in Ban Ton Phueng in Huaysay, the capital of Bokeo
province, for 99 years. China plans to send about 100,000 people to
settle in the area" Really?

*PORT OF NO RETURN*

Chiang Saen project snags as Chinese investment streaks ahead in Laos,
write Subin Khuenkaew and Naowarat Suksamran in Chiang Rai

Bangkok Post, 13 Sep 2008

View of Chiang Saen port and the Golden Triangle, which is being
developed into a transportation and trade hub in the Mekong sub-
region. A casino and hotel under construction on the Lao side of the
Mekong river, scheduled for completion next year. The properties are
being built on land rented by Chinese investors.

A shuttle boat service can take passengers, including Thai gamblers,
to and from Burma. Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district is crowded with
tourists, but local business operators say more is needed to promote
business in the area.

Boontham Thipprasong, vice-president of the Chiang Rai Chamber of
Commerce and president of the Mae Sai Chamber of Trade. Workers
unload goods from a Chinese cargo vessel at Chiang Saen port. — Photos
by TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Thailand has yet to make its northern port of Chiang Saen on the
Mekong river ready for the rapid development enjoyed by other areas
around the Golden Triangle.
Cebu Pacific Air Click Here!

While Chinese businessmen have invested in more than 30 business,
housing and entertainment projects on the Lao side opposite Chiang
Rai's Chiang Saen district, the atmosphere in Thailand is described by
local entrepreneurs as quiet.

"We want the government to pay more attention to the second Chiang
Saen port project and speed up work," said Pagaimas Viera, owner of
Mekong Delta Travel Agency.

Local firms and a conservation group share the same worry that the
remote district may miss an opportunity to become a major tourist
destination in the Mekong sub-region and a transport hub linking
southern China with Thailand, Laos and Burma.

The existing Chiang Saen port is considered too small to support
growing economic activities around the Golden Triangle, an area where
the Thai, Lao and Burmese borders meet.

The port is made up of floats, which are inadequate for ships with
goods to load and unload.

According to port officials, goods vessels made 2,500 trips to the
port last year, carrying fruit, vegetables, palm oil and vehicles.

The government has approved construction of the second Chiang Saen
port.

However, according to Tawit Tiyakwang, secretary to the Wiang tambon
administration organisation, other large development projects near the
port are finding it hard to acquire land, which cannot be traded due
to its Sor Por Kor 4-01 title status, which restricts its use to only
agricultural purposes.

The Chinese government has rented from Laos more than 90,000 rai of
land in Ban Ton Phueng in Huaysay, the capital of Bokeo province, for
99 years.

China plans to send about 100,000 people to settle in the area, which
will house new communities, parks, hotels, shopping centres, casinos
and golf courses.

All the projects are expected to be finished in the next year. So far
more than 30% of the work is done and construction proceeds at a rapid
rate.

"Development in Chiang Saen is slower than on the other side of the
river," said Chiang Saen conservation group's Nikorn Laowanit.

Officials in charge of planning should take care of provincial
historic sites, and promote them as tourist spots.

Some business properties in Chiang Saen such as the Golden Triangle
shopping centre and its river transport station were built only to be
abandoned for nearly 10 years. Electricity has been cut and roads
inside the centre are now covered with grass, Mr Nikorn said.

Local businessmen want the second Chiang Saen port built as soon as
possible.

This would complete Chiang Rai's transport systems, including an
international airport.

The port will make the province a water transport centre, said Chiang
Saen port manager Paiboon Podi.

"Then other big development projects would follow," he said.

But the government needs to think of the social impact as well. Chiang
Saen district police chief Pol Col Tirachai Tianchai, for example, is
worried about a possible increase in crime.

URGENT: Call for ASEAN Volunteers in Myanmar Deadline: 25 September 2008

2008-09-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

I am currently deployed to the coordinating office for the ASEAN
Humanitarian Task Force in Yangon,Myanmar for the initial 3 months as
part of a longer arrangement towards establishing an ASEAN-ADPC
partnership.

Following the devastating Cyclone Nargis, the Tripartite Core Group
(TCG) was established as a working mechanism for coordinating,
facilitating and monitoring the flow of international assistance into
Myanmar.

The TCG is urgently looking for ASEAN volunteers to implement
Community Based Early Recovery (CBER) projects in selected villages in
the affected areas of the Delta. One such project is currently being
implemented in Seik Gyi village. Participation in these project will
involve the volunteers staying at the village for a period of at least
three months and helping the village community to implement the
projects.

Volunteers will be given a sufficient amount of allowance to cover
their living expense in Myanmar. This opportunity is extended to
individuals with ASEAN nationalities only preferably with relevant
experience in (but not limited to) the following: disaster management,
humanitarian action, community development and development studies .

If you are interested, please send your updated CV on or before 25
September 2008 GMT 5:00pm to

Dr. Anish Kumar Roy, Special Representative of the ASEAN Secretary
General: aroy.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

copy to:

Ms. Adelina Kamal, Head of Office, Coordinating Office for the ASEAN
Humanitarian: akamal.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

Mr. Philipp Danao, Technical Specialist for Strategic Support for the
ASEAN Humanitarian: phildanao.aseanhtf@ gmail.com

Don Sahong Photography Exhibition

2008-09-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

16-27 September 2008 at Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
(#64, St. 200, Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

GNH3 Newsletter - Announcement of 'GNH4' on 24-26 November 2008 in Thimphu, Bhutan

2008-09-10T02:07:00.000-07:00

You did not hear from us for a long time. We are happy to be back with some good news.

The Center for Bhutan Studies (CBS) announced the dates of the 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness! The conference will be held 24-26 November 2008 in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Information and Call for Papers are available at www.bhutanstudies.org.bt and the contactperson is Dorji Penjore dorpen71@gmail.com telephone 975-2-335872.

Shortly after 'GNH4', a unique gathering will take place in Thailand: the second conference of the Buddhist Economics Research Platform will be organized 5-7 December 2008 in Ubon Ratchathani. At the university (5 Dec.) and a Buddhist meditation centre in the nearby forest, founded by the famous Ajarn Chah. Gross National Happiness will be one of the workshop topics during this pioneering event. Information: www.buddhist-economics.info and Linda Nowakowski at lindern@gmail.com

Later the same month the ASEAN People's Forum will be held in Bangkok 13-15 December including a workshop on GNH and the parallel Green Fair Thailand '08. For the ASEAN People's Forum contact Somkid M. Mahitaya at somkid_tvs@yahoo.com and for the Green Fair: Wallapa van Willenswaard wallapa@suan-spirit.com

We have started updating our website www.gnh-movement.org again with among others reports on the heartwarming Planet Diversity conference in Bonn, Germany; the Paradiso workshop (on ICT and changing social paradigms) organized in Brussels by the EU, Club of Rome and Oriones ; as well as announcements on our new GNH movement project.

Planet Diversity initiator and environmentalist Vandana Shiva will speak at the ASEAN People's Forum. She will address the food crisis with the question 'Can Organic Agriculture Feed the World?'.

For information on the GNH movement project of Suan Nguen Mee Ma (the organizer of GNH3) please visit our GNH movement website. The aim of this 'research development' project supported by Thailand Research Fund (to be confirmed) is to explore an effective multi-stakeholder approach to social transformation inspired by Gross National Happiness and a synthesis of similar movements towards change 'beyond GDP'. In the first year 2008-2009 six bi-monthly brainstorming workshops will be organized in order to shape a longer term action-research programme, probably including international comparative research.

Your participation in the process will be very much appreciated. If you are not living in Thailand our website and the internet will be the way. We are preparing a special interactive communication portal for this purpose to be launched in 2009.

The first workshop of the GNH movement project will take place Tuesday-morning 26 August 2008, SASIN business school Room 502, Bangkok. Resource persons will include Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa from the perspective of engaged spirituality, Magsaysay Awardee and media-activist Jon Unghpakorn, business leader Prida Tiasuwan and senator Rosanna Tositrakul. The theme will be 'Today's Crisis: Hidden Opportunities for Change in the Next Decade'.

Information:
Hans van Willenswaard hans@gnh-movement.org ,
Wallapa wallapa@gnh-movement.org
Sajee 086-8373846 sajee@gnh-movemnet.org
Parkpume 086-5640564 pakphum@gnh-movement.org
GNH3 website: http://www.gnh-movement.org

Hear the Voices of Peace from Thai Youth

2008-09-09T01:16:00.000-07:00

CYM/TVS is bringing 4 Thai youth representatives from different groups and organisations to join the International peace conference on the topic 'Peace, Justice and Reconciliation' in Angkor, Siam Riep, Cambodia from 18th-25th September 2008. At the conference there will be country presentation, workshops, cultural performances, art exhibition on NGOs experiences and International Peace's Day march in public. This conference will bring together 300 youth participants from Rwanda, Guatamala, Peru, Morrocco and Southeast Asia (most of them are Cambodian youth). Before the four of them are landing on the land of Angkor, below is the opinion and expectation from this upcoming conference. Hear their voices below!

Watcharin 'Rin' Sungkara, from Tonkla Institute

The conference topic is so contemporary. Today society has faced many recently conflicts that started even in family unit, village, state and worldwide. And many conflicts end shortly through violence that cause people sadness, angry emotion and yes even death. So reconciliation is a need for us who still have to live and start the harmony society again and again. But how should we deal and learn from our past conflict so that we can protect people from any kinds of violence that we don’t want.

So I hope to learn about ‘post-conflict-process’ that you set up during this meaningful conference and wish that we could maybe implement or try to do something for our relevant issues of ‘Preah Vihear’ together. And also for others many conflicts in Thailand as well.
I think this would be great opportunity for me to share about conflict issues with other participants from different countries and each conflict must come from different problems. And I believe that solving problems about the conflict in any country needs the same goal which is building reconciliation or peace.

Khumkhao Songsomboon, 27, TVS laywer full-time volunteer

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
I think this would be great opportunity for me to share about conflict issues with other participants from different countries and each conflict must come from different problems. And I believe that solving problems about the conflict in any country needs the same goal which is building reconciliation or peace.

Nowadays, we talk about ‘peace’, most people may think of the country without war. But at the same time, we think of the country that the war is just over, it does not always mean that the country will be peaceful.

Losing lives, love ones or even properties that the survivals have experienced after the war is a learned lesson that I would really like to learn from other participants who have been through this experience.

I believe that this would be a good opportunity among the participants to share learned experience about peace building within their own countries to other participants. And I hope I can adapt what I have learned during the conference in my own country.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
I would like learn about Cambodian cultures and their way of lives, especially the lived of survivors whose lives had been affected from previous genocide. Besides that I would like to listen to the opinions of Cambodian youth towards the post-conflict situation in their country and learn how their historical knowledge has been passed on to their generation.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I believe that correctly learning about the true cause of mass-killing problem in Cambodia will help benefit me and others. I would pass on this knowledge to group of my friends and my colleagues. This will encourage me and the rest of my people back home to realize that the history of genocide in Cambodia is not only a problem in Cambodian, but it is also a problem happened in our world society to all human races.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
I think the experience that I will get from this conference is to learn about the history of conflict and the history of wars – learning in the right way, not just to remember the dates, years or persons in the history, but remember how important the event in the history is about, what caused the problem and think about it by using critical thinking.

This will open my views of main purpose of learning history and implementing the lesson learned from the conflict or the war and putting it in the school curriculum.
And it will be very useful for me to be a part of working on improving about social study and history courses in school curriculum in my country.

If the Thai students learn how to analyze the historical knowledge in their history or social study courses, it will be very useful to them, they will realize that they are learning not only to remember but also to analyze and get involve in what they have learned at school.

Wanmai Chaiyarin, 22, a political science student from Rajabhat Yala University

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
I would like to learn about the post-conflict situation in Cambodia and learn more about the situation on politics, education, economic and other interesting issues. And I also would like to share my experience and ideas about voluntary projects on peace building and as well as learning experiences from other participants.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
I am already eager to learn everything from this conference.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I would like to present and share my ideas about peace building from my perspectives to everyone in the conference – if there are chances.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
I think I would bring my made experience in this conference to adapt in the projects that I am working on and on the other hand, this will help me to analyze about the current unpeaceful situations in the country to see what the insiders and outsiders think about this situation.

Jaruwan Supolrai, 25, an intern at CYM of Thai Volunteer Service

1. Why are you interested in coming to the conference in Cambodia?
Last year I was helping CYM/TVS as a volunteer interpreter with their GNH project, which was very interesting to me at that time, since then I’ve been interested in NGO social activists’ projects in Mekong region. And last month, I had attended the Thai-Malay Dialogue meeting in Penang, Malaysia, organized by AMAN (Asian Muslim Network) and ARF (Asian Recourse Foundation).

The idea was about peace-building in the southern part of Thailand. And I’ve come to understand and learn more about peace study and the importance of peace in Thailand and Southeast Asian regions. And I am recently working for CYM as a coordinator. So I believe that joining this conference will give me more experience on peace-building activities and hopefully I will get more networks of friends who share the same interests of peace project t make a world a better place to live.

2. What would you like to learn during the time in Cambodia?
During my time in Cambodia, I would like to learn and experience about peace building projects from other participants in Southeast Asia region and other part of the world like Rwanda, Peru and Guatemala. Hopefully, we will come up with the initiative ideas to build up peace movement within our own region and other part of the world.

3. What do you think you can contribute to the post-conflict-process in Cambodia?
I am not sure I am able to contribute something to the post-conflict process in Cambodia, since my work is not only focusing on peace building, but other issues as well. But I hope I can partly work and cooperate with the youth group of peace in Cambodia.

4. In which way, you think you can use your made experience in Cambodia in your home country?
After I bring home with the experience made in this conference, I hope I can keep working on peace issue with the youth group in Thailand – just to be a small part of this big issue in today’s society. Let’s give it a try! And one more thing, I will write a feature article about this conference for an English local magazine for teenagers

In Search of Peace

2008-09-09T00:22:00.001-07:00

The Follow-up GNH3 Conference 2007 in Asia : Role of Thailand

2008-09-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

CYM team just had a chance to join the first workshop of the GNH movement project which was taken place last Tuesday-morning 26 August 2008, SASIN business school Room 502, Bangkok. Resource persons included Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa from the perspective of engaged spirituality, Magsaysay Awardee and media-activist Jon Unghpakorn, business leader Prida Tiasuwan and senator Rosanna Tositrakul. The theme will be 'Today's Crisis: Hidden Opportunities for Change in the Next Decade'.

Join the ASEAN People's Forum (AFP): 13-15 December 2008 Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

2008-09-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

The ASEAN People's Forum is a People-to People platform to be held prior to the 14^th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok. Civil society organizations and social movements from all ASEAN countries are invited to join the forum to discuss issues confronting peoples in the region and to articulate and strategize around people's aspirations for ASEAN and the ASEAN people.

The APF will have plenary sessions on people-centered alternatives, the food and energy crisis in the region, and people's participation in ASEAN. There will be independently-organized parallel workshops on different issues such as labour rights, disaster risks reduction, free trade agreements, youth, Gross National Happiness, migration, human rights, and many others.

A Call for workshop proposals will be posted shortly.

The APF is jointly organized by The Thai Working Group on APF and Regional Organizing Committee for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference IV (ACSC4).

For further information contact: apfthailand@gmail.com or apfthailand@hotmail.com

Thai Young People's Movement on Current Political Situation in Bangkok

2008-09-03T03:34:00.000-07:00

Below is an update of Thai young people's movement on the current political situation. The story was kindly written by Phat (and photo as well), from the Youth for Local Wisdom Project, Thailand.

Today, I would like to share about Thai's situation today in Bangkok with you.

You might see or hear from news paper or TV or online news paper. The situation went too bad condition, after People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) clashed with United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) last night. This morning Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej announced the government's declaration a state of emergency.

The situations were very difficult to explain, because it very complexly condition. And the situation has changing every day. You can read more from website http://www.bangkokpost.com, Thai's newspaper in English.

For Thai people who have difference thinking and don't want violent as same as civil war and more coup in Thailand. Even though whose will go to start from the government or PAD or UDD. The result will leave only painfulness, hard to treat the society. It not only Thailand but we could saw it everywhere in the world. How do you think?

So! Bangkok now a day, There are Thai young people from difference groups around 30 people went out to the street (02-09-2008). Tell to the other at MBK and Siam Shopping centre, what the real thing which they want to say is. Some words I heard from them are "NO VIOLENCE"/"STOP NO VIOLENCE"/"PEACE" The government' s Declaration a State of Emergency is NOT the way out"

I send you some pictures which I took, you can see their activity.

Non-violence protest

Stop violence

No coup!

Young Thai people activity for non-violence stop

Light of peace

Giving emails for further connection

Story and photo by Phat, from Youth for Local Wisdom Project, Thailand.

Young GMS Professional Program

2008-09-03T03:30:00.000-07:00

Dear MIRAC Members,

Greetings from the Mekong Institute!

The second batch of the Young GMS Professional Program (YGMSP) of the Mekong Institute will begin in November 2008. YGMSP offers medium-term training to talented and enthusiastic individuals from the GMS member countries. Young professionals working, or interested, in managing/facilitating capacity building program for regional development and cooperation are

invited to apply.

Applicants must be GMS nationals aged 35 years or younger. A Master's Degree or equivalent training/experience and English proficiency are required. The deadline for application is 19 September 2008. Attached please find the details of the announcement in the brochure herewith this mail.

I request for your assistance in disseminating this announcement through
your network.

Thank you very much for your cooperation,

bhoj

--
Bhoj Raj Khanal
Research Manager
Research and Library Department
MEKONG INSTITUTE
Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Tel: 66-4-320-2411 Ext. 401
Fax: 66-4-334-3131
Web: www.mekonginstitute.org

7th Asia-Europe Young Volunteers Exchange (AEYVE) - 5-19 Nov 2008

2008-09-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to inform you about our upcoming event, the 7th Asia-Europe Young Volunteers Exchange (AEYVE) - Intercultural Approaches to Sustainable Development: Volunteering for today and tomorrow: How to foster sustainable choices among volunteers and local communities?, from 5th November to 19th November 2008. In 2008 the project is entirely based in Asia for the first time with the preparation and evaluation meetings taking place in Singburi, Thailand.

The project is co-organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) and will be bringing together up to 40 motivated youth trainers and leaders active in the area of youth, training, capacity building and non-formal education.Background information on the event, including the criteria for participation, have been enclosed for your perusal. Please note that there is a double call – one for hosting organisations and one for participants.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further inquiries.
Email to Michal Skrzek at p2p.projects2@ asef.org

Request for Proposals on Cyclone Nargis Recovery Project

2008-08-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Chiang Mai Friends for Nargis Recovery Group, a coalition of Thailand and Burmese civil society groups from Chiang Mai, seeks to provide financial support to on-the-ground, local organizations directly working on Cyclone Nargis relief and rehabilitation efforts in cyclone-affected areas. Grants of USD $1,000 will be awarded for livelihood recovery projects, particularly those supporting vulnerable groups such as women, children, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Exemplary proposals may also be channeled to other funding agencies in Thailand for additional financial assistance.

To apply for Chiang Mai Friends for Nargis Recovery fund please kindly provide the following details:

Organization information
Proposed Activities
Financial Information : financial report form and activities' budget

Proposals must be received no later than September 31, 2008. Late proposals will not be accepted. Please send proposals via email to: rcsd@chiangmai. ac.th, nattawadeed@gmail.com and apassorns@hotmail.com,

Upcoming GNH seminars and conferences

2008-08-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

We would like to conclude the activities a bit for some friends who might be interested in:

The 6 workshops to explore the issues on Sufficiency Economy with TRF in 2008-2009.

1) The first meeting will be next week , "Today's Crisis. Hidden opportunities for change? " Tuesday morning 26 August at SASIN business school in Chulalongkorn University

2) Next meeting will be on Happiness and Transformative learning, 10 October 2008

3) The 4th International Conference on Gross National Happiness in Bhutan: the dates are now 24-26 November 2008

4) In December we will organize the GNH workshop as part of the ASEAN conference.
We try to include Mekong region networking activities in the TGLIP project

These activities are very interesting and hope that some of us here can join you!

For more information please visit http://www.gnh- movement. org/ Anyone has more information particular in each activity please kindly let us know.

Feature Articles: Peace Practice

2008-08-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some thoughts and advice from two Cambodian young leaders practicing peace. Thank you Te Chum and Sam Chanthy for sharing your thoughts with us. The two feature articles aredrawn from CYL (Cambodian Youth Leader) Newsletter.

Practice in Peace
by Te Chum

"Peace" is a wonderful and meaningful word. Its appearance looks and sounds very nice.
The word "peace" is used in a variety of purposes since it is a term that the global community strongly encourages everyone to implement. As a result, some leading countries are trying to use this word to disguise their reasons for invading other countries in favor of their businesses. Therefore, peace can truly appear only when everyone practices it without any hidden reason or agenda regardless of the situation they are in.

Regarding Cambodia and Thailand, there is one main point that is causing conflict and the eventual confrontation. The border lines between these two countries have not been concretely determined. To make peace practically, I would suggest having a neutral, reliable international organization occasionally intervene in the confrontations between these two countries and encourage these countries to withdraw their militaries from the border. When the situation is more peaceful, this organization should to set up a neutral committee to finalize the border lines between Cambodia and Thailand. Then, peace will be possible in these two countries. The vague, unclear border line is the main cause of war between these countries, and it is such matters that destroy peace in our world.

Turning back to the cause of the confrontation between Cambodian and Thailand, there are three problems that I have observed: firstly, the acceptance of reality; secondly, extreme nationalism, and finally, fake history. To make Peace in Practice applicable, Thailand should seek any other bilateral means except for force. If that fails, Thailand should follow other steps which are in compliance with international laws to be at peace with its neighbor and the region.

Peace is possible only when all parties are willing to make it neutrally.

Internal Calmness: A Way of Exercising Peace

By Sam Chanthy

Lord Buddha has said that people in the world seek Happiness in life, but there is no better Happiness than Calmness. This Calmness is from your heart and spirit. People can easily enjoy Happiness with the wealth they have or what they believe it can bring them. But it reminds me of a common saying everyone knows: "Money can buy you a bed, not sleep."

Usually this Happiness does not last for long because it depends on external inputs or support. Likewise, a community of people who wait to be fed and do not wake up and learn how to lead their own lives will not be sustainable and strong enough when their donors or supports leave them. Self-reliance is something we all have experienced, confirmed as true and deemed necessary in this world. Again, Lord Buddha has also mentioned that "Nothing can help you but yourself."

Peace is the ultimate goal everyone desires, but in practice, it does not always reflect the truth because people define peace differently. This is the nature of human beings who are born with individually different thoughts. However, some individuals are too sure about their definition of peace and the ways they approach it. They want others to believe them even though they cannot successfully prove their view and have to twist facts to support it. But others are able to accept all the ideas offered or suggested and make their own decision based on all the facts and evidence they have collected.

The difficult situation and tension at the Thai/Cambodia border has remained for nearly two weeks now and no solution has been dealt yet. There is no way to resolve this unless the two countries can learn to listen and accept each other's reasons; they need to justify their own stands with real facts along with a record of history that everyone acknowledges. At the same time, everyone needs to practice their peace with Calmness.

Personally, I felt a bit frustrated when I heard that Thailand sent out their troops to Preah Vihear, but another feeling urged me to wake up and listen to and learn from enough information and facts before I resort to anger. And it works! My internal calmness exists and I have no serious, negative feelings about this situation. As Lord Buddha advises us,

"Choose the non-violent way to solve the problem rather than aggressively face and fight! Learn to listen and ponder!"

Flood and the Chinese dams!

2008-08-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

Below is some information and opinions about the cause of the flood which some people think that it is the result of building dams in upper Mekong in China. But the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said it is natural conditions.

Here are different points of view on the contribution of the Chinese Dams to the latest flooding...

Heavy Rains, Chinese Dams Lead to Flooding*
The Irrawaddy, Friday, August 15, 2008

Heavier than normal monsoon rain has led to severe flooding throughout Burma, especially in Karen and Mon states and along the Mekong River.

The flooding from torrential rains began the first week of August causing extensive damage to homes and displacing hundreds of people in Pa-an located on the Salween River in eastern Burma.

According to a Pa-an resident, the flooding was the worst in his lifetime. Heavy rain continued for several days, extensively disrupting transportation.

"Newly planted rice fields are covered with water and more than 100 people who lived on the bank of the Salween have taken refuge in schools building," he said.

Communities in Moulmein and Mudon also faced torrential rains and flooding. Trees were blown down by high winds and some homes and schools lost their roofs in the storms. Local rubber plantations and gardens were also damaged.

State media reported on Friday that a high tide of from 20.1 to 20.90 feet is expected on the Rangoon River from August 17 to 22.

Meanwhile, villagers who live near the Mekong River in Shan Sate and in several provinces in Laos and Thailand also faced severe flooding as the water level in the river rises.

A staff member of the Mekong Post, a Chiang Rai-based community media group that monitors the Mekong River area, told The Irrawaddy that flooding is affecting farmland regions in Laos and Burma.

On Thursday, Tuenjai Deetes, a Thai human rights activist and former senator, visited affected areas in Chiang Rai Province, where more than 30 villages were flooded.

Tuenjai said the flooding is a long-term concern for people living along the Mekong River which run through China, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. One of the main problems, she said, is a series of river dams built by China in the past decade, according to a report on the Mekong Post Web site.

Recently in the Golden Triangle area of northern Thailand where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos converge, the Mekong River reached its highest level in 30 years, flooding homes and farmland.

Local residents said the Mekong flooding is increased when the dams in China open their water gates to lower the water level in the reservoirs, effecting countries downstream.

Northeastern Thailand also experienced severe flooding along the Mekong River in Nakorn Phanom Province, which borders Laos.

Press Statement on Current Mekong Flood Situation
MRC, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 15 August 2008

On Friday, 15 August 08 water levels receded in Luang Prabang and receded slightly in Vientiane. They are predicted to fall significantly over the weekend at these stations, although as the flood waters move south it is likely that water levels will reach at least alarm stage in southern Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam later in the coming week.

The observed peak water level in Vientiane reached 13.68m, which exceeded the 1966 flood level (12.69m) by almost one meter. Prior to this, the highest water level observed was 12.66m in 1924.

Areas of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Nong Khai have been flooded, as have been rural areas of Lao PDR and Thailand. However, the city centre of Vientiane has avoided inundation. This is because following the 1966 event which flooded large areas of the city a raised earthen

dyke was constructed to protect Vientiane. This has managed to contain the 2008 flood water, although water levels did reach the top of the dyke in some areas. Effective emergency works by the government reinforced the dykes with sandbags which avoided significant further inundation. Similar structural and emergency measures have been taken
in Thailand.

This current flood is a combination of the following. The northern parts of the Mekong basin have experienced significantly above average rainfall during the first months of the monsoon season which saturated the river catchments, providing increased flood runoff. These conditions resulted in high river levels than usual and were compounded by tropical storm Kammuri over the weekend 8-10 August 2008. Kammuri brought intense and prolonged rainfall to the northern basin. In the case of the flood water that reached Vientiane some 50%

originated in China and the rest in Lao PDR from large tributaries such as the Nam Ou and the Nam Khan.

The current water levels are entirely the result of the meteorological and hydrological conditions and were not caused by water release from presently operating Chinese dams which have storage volumes far too small to affect the flood hydrology of the Mekong.

The MRC's most northern monitoring station in the lower Mekong basin is at Chiang Saen in Thailand. Early warning data are also received from the Jinghong station, some 340km further upstream in PR China which is downstream of one of PR China's major mainstream dams. Both

of these stations and the wider MRC mainstream measurement stations network, were established under the Appropriate Hydrological Network Improvement Project (AHNIP), supported by Australia, which established 18 such stations overall.

The time it takes the water to travel from these stations is as follows. Jinghong to Chiang Saen 21 hours; Chiang Saen to Luang Prabang 17 hours; and Luang Prabang to Vientiane/Nong Khai 24 hours. This enables short term flood forecasting which in turn allows the MRC

to issue advance notice of extreme water levels to concerned agencies.

The MRC has estimated that should safety releases from operating hydropower schemes or current construction sites in PR China be necessary, this would raise water levels by a maximum of 0.40m in Luang Prabang within 2 days, and by a maximum of 0.30m in Vientiane

within 3 days of the release.

Some background from a few years ago...

Chinese dams, channel blasting may spell disaster for mighty Mekong River
Source: Copyright 2002, Associated Press
Date: November 1, 2002
Byline: Denis Gray, Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Developers advertise the Mekong River as "Asia's last frontier." Others warn of social and environmental disaster as China dams and blasts one of the world's great untamed rivers, altering the flow to millions of people downstream who depend
upon the river.

"The Chinese hydropower dams, channelization for navigation, and heavy commercial shipping will kill the river," said Tyson Roberts of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. "The dams will be a menace to livelihoods, property, and life in all of the downstream countries."

Even in China, some critical voices are rising. "On an international river, no country should be selfish. It should consider impacts on other countries and the whole river," said Xu Xioagang, an academic and environmental activist who has studied the effects of dams on Chinese communities.

Chinese authorities argue that reshaping the Mekong will have minimal impact downstream and may be beneficial in some cases. Dams will ease the annual cycles of flooding and water shortages in the Mekong Basin while deeper navigation channels are sure to foster regional trade and help alleviate poverty, they said.

"Development of the Mekong River is a joint decision of all the related countries. Damage and negative impacts are much smaller compared to the benefits for a larger population," said Deng Jiarong, the Chinese official in Yunnan who is in charge of Mekong River
affairs.

Further debate, as well as protests by nongovernmental organizations, are expected when leaders of the Greater Mekong Subregion meet Nov. 3 in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The GMS, launched a decade ago to promote development, includes Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China's Yunnan province.

Most people in this region agree that the stakes are high and the pace of development is accelerating. The basin is home to more than 60 million people, mostly low income but largely self-sufficent farmers and fishers who depend on the river's rich sediment for riverside
cultivation and on its cornucopia of fish.

After Brazil's Amazon, the Mekong is the world's most biodiverse inland waterway, with an estimated 1,245 species found in its waters. It provides 80 percent of the protein needs of people who live in the basin.

Wars and geographical remoteness kept much of the 4,880-kilometer- long (3,030-mile) Mekong isolated. Its source in the high plateau of Tibet was only discovered in 1994. The river was bridged for the first time the same year when a span went up between Laos and Thailand. And in 1996 China completed the first dam, Manwan, across the Mekong's main
stream.

Now, some $40 billion worth of industrial, energy, transport, and tourism projects are set to change forever the lives, cultures and environments of millions.

The changes don't come from China alone. Dams are already up on the Mekong's three major tributaries, in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Intensive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, waste discharges from urban areas, widespread logging, and the use of explosives and other nontraditional fishing methods in several countries already are degrading the ecosystem. Population pressures — the basin paopulation is expected to grow to 100 million people by 2025 — are expected to take an increasingly heavy toll.

"Every villager living along the Mekong River now says the same thing: 'There are fewer and fewer fish to catch,'" said David Hubbel, who works with an environmental group based in Thailand, Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance.

"It's the rise and fall of the water and the movement of fish that gives the people food throughout the basin," Hubbel told reporters recently. High waters in the rainy season allow fish to swim up tributaries to spawning grounds; low waters in the dry season permit
farmers to grow crops on land newly fertilized by river silt.

Attempts to re-engineer and regulate this vast but delicate annual cycle could spell disaster, many experts warn. Chinese dams may have worsened this year's severe floods in several riverine countries experts said. Faced with rain-swollen reservoirs, the Chinese released
more water than normal into a river already high from heavy local downpours. Deaths and vast losses in crops and homes were reported in Cambodia, Thailand, Yunnan province and elsewhere in the basin.

The Chinese-initiated project to blast rapids, shoals, and reefs in order to allow ships of greater tonnage to ply the Mekong is another point of controversy. The first phase, which has started, would clear the river from the China-Myanmar border some 300 kilometers (186
miles) into Laos. Deng, the Chinese official, insisted the impact of blasting would be short-lived and that the damming would boost fishing in downstream countries and reduce flood damage by stabilizing water levels.

An evaluation sponsored by The Mekong River Commission, a river basin authority based in Phnom Penh, has criticized the environmental impact study for the project as "fundamentally flawed," its findings simply "speculation. " The study, completed in just six months, was carried out by a joint experts group from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. The river commission asked Australia's Monash Environmental Institute for the evaluation.

Critics of the blasting say the fast flow of water would cause riverbank erosion and the destruction of reefs would kill off prime breeding grounds for fish. "China's (moves) will turn the Mekong into a biologically degraded, badly polluted, dying river like the Yangtze
and other big rivers of China," said Tyson, a fisheries expert with the Washington D.C.–based institute. "China will not be able to regulate the Mekong any more than she can regulate the Yangtze, Europe can regulate the Danube, or the U.S.A. can regulate the Mississippi. "

Officials in the region have muted their responses to China despite criticism by academics and villagers in downstream countries. Southeast Asian countries don't want a confrontation with China. But Thailand has at least temporarily halted blasting of its section of the river, while Laos is skeptical. "Millions of Laotians rely on the Mekong. Their lives will be affected by so many changes on the river," the Laotian ambassador to Thailand, Hiem Phommachanh has said.

Yu, who heads the Chinese nongovernmental organization Green Watershed, believes China is unlikely to cease building dams, which it began without consulting its neighbors and without assessing the impact downstream. China may construct a cascade of as many as eight
dams on the river in Yunnan province. The second one, Dachaoshan, has been completed, and a third, Xiowan, is scheduled for commissioning in 2012. At the equivalent of 100 stories high, it would be among the world's tallest dams.

Feasibility studies are under way for two others, and there is talk about another three dams. Yu says that domestic politics as well as China's seemingly unquenchable need for water and hydropower, drive the dam building projects on the Mekong and elsewhere.

China must increase its electricity output by 5 to 6 percent each year until 2020 to meet economic goals. And enriching relatively poor provinces like Yunnan through hydropower is tied to China's "Go West" policy, an effort to close a potentially destabilizing gap between
booming areas of eastern China and the have-nots of the west.

Thanks Phi Ae and Somsy who kindly provided this useful articles.

-HappySeed Team-

A Survey Trip for Mekong Youth Camp

2008-08-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

August 8-12, 2008 – TVS (Thai Volunteer Service Foundation) team and RRAFA (Foundation of Reclaiming Rural Agriculture and Food Sovereignty) team headed off to Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai for the Mekong youth camp which will take place on 7-12 October 2008. This camp will help prepare participants and give good preparation before the forum. Before leaving Bangkok we heard from the radio there would be a big storm hitting the northern Thailand. Finally we arrived there safely and it was raining cats and dogs! During our trip, we met and learned from many people, community leaders, villagers, NGO social activists. Below are the photos and captions to explain what we experienced from the trip.

This is a part of Chiang Khong, covered with a big corn field, it is what we call, mono-cultivation, which brings no bio-diversity to the land.

Though, it was raining and the water level in Mekong was increasing on that day,
a fisherman was still on his way to catch fishes for his living.

One of the 'Save Mekong River Life' project staff and the 'Mekong Post' Magazine, based in Chiang Khong, was kindly taking us around his area and explaining about natural resource situation in the Mekong River. More info you can visit www.mekonglover.com.

This is the real 'Local FTA', villagers from Laos on the other side of Mekong river coming to a Thai village for this fair trade with Thai villagers. Most of the goods that Lao villagers brought for sale are 'corns' and after everything was sold out, they come home with some stuff like canned fish and instant noodle.

The corn field after harvesting!

Un-natural way of raising fish on the Mekong, maybe GMO fish!

Village people are worried about the increasign water level of Eing River.
Would it be the big flood soon???

The green montain seems to be covered with the corn field and other corps!

The big tall tree on the bank of Mekong River are falling down,
since the bank was getting collapsing!!!

We were standing in Chiang Khong river bank and zoomed out to shoot this shot - Green montain of beautiful LAO PDR. One of the villagers who kindly had a conversation with us, kindly said that "her parents and him are from Laos, and people here and people there are very good friends! We depend on each other like in the past!

-HappySeed Team-

ASEAN People’s Forum in BKK, Thailand

2008-08-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

Thailand will host the ASEAN Submit on 16-18 December 2008 in Bangkok. The civil society in ASEAN is going to organize the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF) as a parallel meeting. The APF will be collectively hosted by Thai NGO network – NGO CORD, People’s Organization (POs) and civic group. And Thai Volunteer Service Foundation (TVS) will be APF’s secretariat. The forum’s theme is about alternative survival and shared living for ASEAN people’s, which is focusing on 4 priority issues; food crisis, alternative energy, human right mechanism and people’s participation.

The APF is expected to come up with ASEAN People’s Charter that will be used for lobbying with ASEAN heads of the state, planners and policy makers for a peaceful, happier and sustainable future of the region.Before the APF event, there will be 2 upcoming camps for youth participants from Thailand and ASEAN countries; the Mekong youth camp (7-12 October 2008) and ASEAN youth camp (9-12 December 2008) to give participants a good preparation before the forum, especially the workshop session preparation.

Next time, the details of the Mekong youth camp and ASEAN youth camp will be updated, if any of you in this e-group is about to join the forum already, or interested in participating in the APF forum – you can email us if you have any question. And if you are not joining in, but just interested – you can leave some of your ideas that might be useful for the upcoming forum. We will be very appreciated.

-HappySEED Team-

CYM/TVS Bangkok, Thailand

About Happy Seed Movement

2008-08-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Our Happy Seeds group has been established since last year during Gross National Happiness (GNH) Mekong Conference in August 2006. Now we have planted more Happy Seeds around the world during GNH World Conference last November 2007 in Thailand.

We hope that all seeds will be growing together in order to build up new chages for our societies. We all are brothers and sisters and we have the same heart. Keep going forward for our dream to create genuine happiness for our people. Our friendship will take root in the soil of peace forever.

Happy Seed Movement is hoping to see the growing seeds of happiness making social changes
for a better world!

-HappySEED Team-