Activists seek ban on boxing apes

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An international animal rights group has called on Thailand to ban controversial kickboxing fights between endangered orang-utans held daily at a Bangkok wildlife park.

The orang-utans, wearing boxing gloves and garish shorts, are put in a ring and encouraged to fight their opponents using fists, knees, elbows and feet.

The operators of the Safari World animal park say the fights – which start with the Rocky movie theme and include chimpanzees wearing bikinis carrying cards with the bout number – are choreographed and that no animal is harmed.

But animal rights groups said the apes were being exploited for easy profits and they were destined for a short and miserable existence after their days in the ring were over.

"It's outrageous. There's no question of it being justifiable in any sort of way," said Cyril Rosen, a board member of the International Primate Protection League.

Such treatment of the endangered orang-utans could have a long-term effect on the species' survival, he said, and called for a tourist boycott of the park.

If orang-utans were deprived of their long upbringing, they lost their maternal instincts, which in turn affected their chances of breeding, Mr Rosen said.

Not everyone is so concerned. At a show yesterday, the audience cheered as two orang-utans pummelled each other.

"If we were doing a cruel show we do not have to let anyone tell us. We would cancel it ourselves," Safari World managing director Pin Kewkacha said.

But Thai animals rights groups say they have contacted Safari World about the orang-utan fights many times.

"But they won't stop because it is good for business and not illegal," said Roger Lohanan from Thai Solidarity for the Protection of Animals.

"There is not an animal cruelty law in Thailand covering this sort of thing."

Cambodia fumes at 'disrespectful' Thai ghost movie

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PHNOM PENH: -- Cambodian outrage was growing Wednesday over the new Thai horror flick Ghost Game which is set in an abandoned Cambodian jail strongly resembling the infamous Khmer Rouge Toul Sleng torture centre.

Accusing the Thai film makers of disrespect for the victims of Cambodia's genocide, head of the Culture Ministry's cinema department, Kong Kendara, said his office would cooperate with the Interior Ministry to confiscate and destroy any copies of the movie in shops in the capital.

Kendara said he had personally denied representatives of the Thai company Tifa Co permission to film the movie at Toul Sleng on June 27, 2005, because in the ministry's opinion, the script outline obviously failed to respect the memories of the victims of the Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge regime.

"These film makers disappeared for a while but now it seems they are back. They want people to be scared, but the deaths (of hundreds of thousands of people) is not a game," Kendara said by telephone.

"The police and the Culture Ministry will cooperate, and when we find this movie, we will destroy it. I would rank it beside the videos from Iraq," he added.

Last year Cambodian cultural authorities banned the sale of harrowing images showing beheading executions by kidnappers in Iraq on the grounds that they were disrespectful to the victims and were a bad influence on young Cambodians.

The set of Ghost Game, directed by Thailand's Sarawut Wichiensarn, reportedly depicts lines of photographs on the walls in a seemingly direct reference to Toul Sleng, as well as piles of skulls and skeletons.

A group of 11 young Thais play characters in a TV reality show who must stay in the haunted Cambodian prison and brave angry ghosts to win prize money.

"The movie makes the dead out to be bad, but they are innocents. Our national tragedy is not a game. This movie looks like the Thais are not respecting the Khmer," Kendara said.

The movie, due for release Thursday in Thailand, has united all factions of Khmer politics in indignation, with some saying they fear renewed friction between the two nations due to the Thai production's allegedly crass treatment of a highly sensitive and still painful period of Cambodian history.

In January 2003, Cambodian mobs burned the Thai embassy and destroyed Thai-owned businesses during a riot sparked by unfounded rumours that a Thai soap actress had claimed Cambodia's most sacred temple, Angkor Wat, rightfully belonged to Thailand. Thailand made emergency evacuations of its nationals.

Deputy Governor of the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin in Cambodia's far northwest, My Meak, said he was horrified that anyone would see the killing fields as a business opportunity.

"This is not a tool to make business. The killing has stopped. We do not forget our past, but it should never be repeated in any form, and especially not in this way," My Meak said by telephone.

Local English-language newspaper, the Cambodia Daily, quoted a former soldier as saying Thailand should parody its own tragedies if it wanted to make light entertainment out of death.

"If they were neutral, they would make a film about Thai authorities killing thousands of their own people in their 'war on drugs'," soldier Loung Nhoung was quoted as saying.

Up to two million Cambodians died from torture, disease, overwork, starvation and execution under the Khmer Rouge's bloody Democratic Kampuchea regime, which lasted from 1975 to 1979.

Where you will find me.... when I'm not around.

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When not on SWYDM and I have free time, this is my other blog that I have been developing. If you have any interest in motorsport, take a look around. There is a lot to see and do, (games,downloads,screensavers,videos,etc.) and some "eye candy" for the guys.

http://www.motorsportnews.co.nr

She said..He said.

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He: A/S/L?

She: I'm a 25 year old, level headed, financialy stable, kind,loving and caring..FUCK BUNNY!

(Sorry! This was just to much not to share)

Behind every successful man.... an old Chinese phrase.

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(That's a BROOMSTICK, just by the way!)

The Hill Tribe people of Thailand

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The Karen, who call themselves Pwakin-nyaw and who are known as Kariang to ethnic Thais, are one of the largest hilltribes in Southeast Asia with a total population of about three million spread throughout Burma, Laos and Thailand. There are an estimated 320,000 Karen in Thailand alone, which makes up half of the total hilltribe population in Thai territory.

Traditionally the Karen live at lower elevations than the other hilltribes and although they still practice slash and burn, unlike many hilltribes they live in permanent villages and have been aggressive in developing environmentally sustainable terraced rice fields. These factors have allowed the Karen to become much more integrated members of Thai society. The Karens living at lower elevations almost universally have Thai citizenship which has allowed them to buy land and to have access to free secondary education, luxuries other hilltribes do not yet have.

Much of the Karen population in Thailand and Burma is Christian and has been for multiple generations. Christian Karens are very strong in their beliefs.

Among hilltribes in Thailand, the Karen have a distinct advantage. The size of the Karen population and their unification in their religion allow them to adapt while still retaining their cultural identity.

The Karen come from a diverse ethnic mix with many different languages and religions. In the past, the Karen worshipped their ancestors. They believed in the trees and the big forests. As time went on, most Karen groups either adopted Buddhism or Christianity. The Karen originate from Burma but emigrated in large numbers to Thailand as a result of war. Many Karen continued to migrate to Thailand even after the war. The Karen of Thailand can be divided into 4 groups: the Sgaw, which refer to themselves as Pagayor, meaning “human.” The Sgor are the largest of the four groups and have their own written language, which was created by Christian missionaries.

It combines both Roman and Burmese characters. Most members of the Sgaw faction have become Christian. The Pro are quite strict in their adherance to traditional ways and customs and can be found in greatest number in Amphur Mae Sa Riang in Mae Hong Son province, Amphur Om Gauy in Chiang Mai province, and the Western border of Thailand. The Ba-way can be found in Amphur Khun Yuan in Mae Hong Son province. As for the Pa Aw, also known as the Tong Su, they exist in Thailand in only small numbers.

The Pagayor keep their history alive in the form of hundreds of stories and tales passed on from generation to generation. Although they may not be substantive evidence for historians, they do help preserve and pass on the essence of what it means to be Karen, e.g. their ethnic origins, customs and traditions. It is said these stories have been told since God created the earth. It was God that created humans. It was God that created the first couple: Adam and Eve. The couple lived together in the garden of Eden, which God had created for them. Adam and Eve disobeyed the law of heaven, however, and were thus banished to Earth where they and their children and their children's children were to live out their sentence. This brings us to the present day.



According to legend, the Karen originate from a mountain by the name of Tawtee bplawgaw. The village leader went by the name of Taw mae bpa. His children and grandchildren propagated and prospered to the point they were so great in number the land on the mountain was not sufficient to feed everyone. Taw mae bpa thus decided it was time to move the village.



 It is said that during the journey Taw mae bpa walked very quickly, determined to reach his destination. When his children wanted to stop and rest he ignored them, walking on. By the time he finally stopped to turn around, he found that his troupe had broken up into little bands; some resting in the Salawin river basin, some in the Erawadi river basin. Each of these groups established themselves in these new locations, causing the Karen tribe to divide and scatter all over Burma, and into the north and east of Thailand.



Some documents report that there were Karen living in southeast China as well, until they were chased out of the country. These Karen groups resettled in the middle of Burma and Mon (the Western border area of Burma). Later, under pressure from the Burmese, they moved up into the surrounding mountains. Some reports suggest all Karen who have migrated to Thailand have come from Burma. The only thing unknown is exactly when the Karen came.

Historians theorize that some of the Karen emigrated towards the end of the Thai Ayuthaya period and settled in the Lanna region. Others say it was before the Greek Ionian period, which would have been around the time of the birth of the city of Chiang Mai.

The blog that time forgot.

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So it seems that not only is this truly "Paradise Lost", but friends have forgotten. How long should one go on being a non entity, before you decide to move along. It's been several years, and I've made many a good friend along the way. However, most of those friendships have faded. Those that matter still show face, but when I'm gone and left a trail of dust, will they still remembe me?

A 3D view from the hill

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A 3D view of the beauty that surrounds me....

Thai Longtail Boat - Progress Report.

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The boat I designed is taking shape at a rapid pace. I am on site supervising the building of it and it is looking great! It should be finished within the next few weeks. I am feeling a lot of pride in this project, and to see it being formed is making that feeling all the more worthwhile.



In other news, I went sailing on a luxury yacht around the islands on the week end, and it was a day of sailing,tanning and sipping champagne and doing a little business, as the owner of the yacht is in need of a new website and multimedia presentations as well. He also asked me to develop a stock vs hours database that can be integrated with the software he currently uses. This is another great challenge, and it seems that there is a lot of faith in my work. Now it is time to prove that I can do it.

A monk's funeral

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At a temple outside of Chiang Mai, near the town of Mae Rim, the body of the monk has been placed in a coffin sheltered by a temporary mock temple--designed to be flammable. As guests arrive--and there will be hundreds of them--they light incense and make a prayer before a portrait of the monk as a young man.

Nearby is a photo board that documents the life of this monk, from childhood photos up to the preparation of his corpse for incineration. This monk has not died recently, however. His body has been preserved for about a year. I was told that the more senior the monk, the longer his body is saved--up to two or three years for the very important. As guests arrive and make donations to the temple, a monk chants their names over a loudspeaker. These older ladies sit in attendance (cooled by large fans, luckily). A band of musicians has also been hired to play for the crowd--by now swelling to a few hundred. As people arrive they can buy some new monk's robes for 50 baht (about USD1.25) and then donate it to the temple. After placing the donation on the alter, the monk will then chant a prayer as the guest sits with clasped hands. It is very good luck to donate robes in such a manner. People arrive steadily with large pots of food which they have been preparing since early morning and the night before. There seems to be no organizing force, there were no sign up sheets for which food to bring, there are simply tables laid out for serving and people occupy them as they arrive. Almost every kind of food is available--rice, noodles and everything else. I stuck with the "kang kiew wan", or green curry with rice, as seen here. All the guests eat as they arrive or whenever they feel like it, but monks have to wait until a certain time. They have been chanting and making other preparations and now there is a lull in the activities when they sit and eat. To tell the truth, I might have missed something in the hour previous to this photo. I was tired after a few hours in the sun (I also had a cold) and went to a nearby farm with a friend to rest. The crowd has now reached more than 500 guests and there is a final offering from each of them. The offering seems to be a mock flower arrangement, the flowers made of wood and paper. As the offerings are made these volunteers pick them up and place them under the coffin in the mock shrine. This is when I figured out what the offerings were for: to serve as kindling for the pyre. Another clue that the fire is about to start is the fire department showing up--just in case the fire gets out of control and we need some fire fighting. An elaborate system of wires has been tied up around the courtyard of the temple, around which this rocket will travel. This is the moment everyone has been waiting for and the crowd gathers close--but not too close. A lucky shot on my behalf, or the culmination of years of self-assignments and shooting thousands of photos? The rocket travels along the wires, setting off other firecrackers as it flies, and then eventually making its way to the coffin. The kindling seems to be doing its job and this shrine will soon be in flames. In typical Thai style, there can not be simply a fire. It wouldn't be Thailand without a conspicuous display of smoke, fire and sound. These smoke bombs are doing the trick, and there is also some kind of device that is making a howling sound--like the ghost of an elephant someone said. Yes, more fireworks, including what you see here and some aerial mortars. And finally the fireworks die out, leaving us with the pyre. The fire races quick and the pyre is hot enough such that those downwind must move or be burned. There are fire tenders nearby with long bamboo poles to shift the fire and prop it up so that the coffin won't tumble, but in this case their efforts are not enough. The shrine collapses and the coffin tumbles... The crowd surges ahead, heedless of the danger of the fire, in order to catch a glimpse of a burning corpse. This time however, nothing can be seen in the flames and there is a palpable sense of disappointment in the crowd. And then, much sooner than it began, the funeral is over and the crowd disperses and leaves.