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Date Posted: 2004-04-27 12:43:15
Author: Zoe
This is a message posted on Indymedia.
It is from an activist who has been living in Thailand and fighting for the rights of Akha people. He is an amazing individual who supports the rights of Akha people to maintain their culture and blows the whistle on the serious human rights abuses in his local area.
This is a snapshot of his struggle.
Matthew - Akha defender - deported
by mick lambe Tuesday April 27, 2004 at 03:35 AM
pariahnt@yahoo.com
"DEPORTED! - Thailand Retaliates Against Human Rights Defender! DON'T BUY THAI - DON'T FLY THAI!"
-- Just in from Matthew McDaniel
-----------------------------------------
From: "Matthew McDaniel"
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004
Subject: [fpcn-internal] Akha Journal: My Deportation From Thailand, The Battle to Save the Akha goes on.
Dear Friends:
For those of you who have not heard, without
explanation I was arrested on 15 April at Maesai while
renewing my visa by Thai immigration and told by the
Maesai Thai Immigration Chief that I was being deported immediately.
I was not surprised, I have been living day to day for
13 years. In a country which so readily kills the Akha I could only expect it.
I was later told that I was being deported under a
clause in Thai Immigration law for a person being a
"nuisance or danger to the public".
In a place where murdering Akha people is considered
normal, I am sure I endangered those engaged in this
sport.
In a place where funding obscene drug war as the
United States has been doing for years, I am sure I
endangered those engaged in this sport.
In a place where claiming that Akha Hill Tribe
children were poor, justfying the AMERICAN
missionaries taking them away from their parents, I am
sure I endangered those engaged in this sport.
I was driven immediately to Bangkok and put in Suan
Phlu, a hell hole, where people recently released from
Bangkwang and Lard Yao prisons claimed that it was far
worse than any experience in those locations. This was
claimed by people who had just finished ten year
prison sentences!
The building is an office building, with cells built
into it, there is no ventilation, the food is old rice
with boiled discarded over age cucumbers. The skeleton
of a chicken might be thrown in.
On the night I left there were 85 people in my cell,
and 250 people in the cell adjacent to me.
Many of the elderly in the cell were mentally
disturbed, unable to cope with nothing to do, little
food, no nutrition, and unspeakable heat. Sleeping for
more than 2 hours at a time was nigh on impossible
with the drenching heat. Due to a fire that destroyed
the homes of 5,000 Thais next to the immigration
center (what kind of clean up job was that?) there was
no water for a day in the cell, fortunately I left
before seeing that continue.
In one cell two depraved foreigners repeatedly hit any
of the Burmese or other Asian prisoners at will.
Young boys were kept in the cells with adults,
Vietnamese, having committed the high crime of walking
on a Thai beach looking for fish. No one could speak
their language and there were no reading materials for
them.
There was never any opportunity to speak with a lawyer.
Finally the Thai Human Rights Commission people came
down and agreed to take my case after speaking with
me.
The US Embassy came and made arrangements for my air ticket, but told me specifically that they had no prior knowledge of my impending arrest, which is quite
difficult to imagine.
There was no statement or protest by the US Embassy of my arrest even though I have vigorously supplied
documentation of human rights abuses to them for
years, information that can be found in Embassy Web
Site Human Rights Documents.
I was told by numerous people that they found the
Embassy position on the arrest most disturbing,
Embassy officials stating that I had "Broken Thai Law"
period.
During my stay of 9 days at the Immigration Detention
Center I was able to talk to numerous prisoners
released from other prisons who told me that Akha
prisoners in Bangkok prisons were the worst treated
people in the entire facilities. While other people ate better rice, good food was never given to these people.
The Akha were treated poorly and made to work like
slaves from very early morning till late in the day.
Far from home, they never got visitors or help.
Guards carried big clubs, resembling axe handles or
larger, and one blow to a person with such a club
would do such severe damage that many prisoners went
to the hospital the next day and eventually died.
The man I spoke with knew of at least ten deaths in
this fashion.
On Saturday I flew back to the United States and Oregon.
I will continue to work to get my wife and children
out of the country as well as to clear the ban on my stay in Thailand.
I will be filing a second petition to the UN under a clause that considers deportation after filing the first UN 1503 cases, retaliation.
Free to travel for the first time in a long while, I will now be going to various places in the world,
highlighting the Akha struggle and rousing supporters
for preventing the human rights abuses of the Akha
people.
As you know, the US has some of the fastest on line
computer access in the world. Air tickets are cheap,
major western hubs in Europe and the US are nearby, if
the Thai Government THOUGHT that deporting me was the way to end the problem they are in for a very rude
surprise.
For 13 years I have battled to assist the Akha people
and protect their lives and culture. Join me now
strongly in an even deeper committment to bring
attention to the needs of the Akha people to the world
community.
If you are in Thailand, your assistance following up
on certain cases, locating new cases and helping
document what the Akha are experiencing CONTINUES and you can play a crucial part.
Helping get the Akha people on line, telling their own
story is of enormous importance. The Akha Peace And
Justice Center at Pah Nmm Akha in the Haen Taek region
will continue.
Photos, Video, music, and documentation is crucial.
In addition, you must demand an explanation of the
Thai Government for the legal justification of my
deportation. Complain to your nearest Thai embassy,
and complain to your Senator or MP demanding that the
Thai ambassador in your country be called to task.
I will be starting broad boycotts of Thailand, Thai
Products and Thai Airways. I had always considered
these actions previously but held back in hopes that
things would improve for democracy and human rights in
Thailand.
Unfortunately, Thailand's neighbors such as the
Burmese in particular, despite all attempts to skew
the truth otherwise, have always treated the Akha as
equals and far better than Thailand has.
For promoting democracy in Thailand you should join
the Thailand Indy Media site as well.
If you have energy, if you have funds which you can
donate, if you have ideas, contact me, take action,
help the Akha people.
I will continue to run a protest action against the Thai Government taking all the land of Hooh Yoh Akha
villages without due process.
At this time we need to respond more dilligently than
before, if the Thai Government should somehow consider
that in the Haen Taek region of Ampur Mae Fah Luang
their problems are over and they can return to the
drug trade exploiting and murdering Akha people at
will as was the case when I first moved to Pah Nmm
Akha village in that area.
If you would like to take on specific investigative tasks, please contact me, I can certainly help you with that. Much information is still needed, some information relating to the deportation is needed as well.
There are also particular villages which are in harms
way that need visits. If you can not speak Thai, you
will need to take an interpreter.
Please contact me or have any press agencies contact
with any questions that you or they may have.
The protest goes on, the BOYCOTTS start, and the cause
of the Akha people will be defended as before.
With fondest of considerations to the Akha people and
all the people who have supported this work thus far.
And protest people, demand answer and an
investigation!
Matthew McDaniel
Oregon, USA
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