Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Beasts of burden
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 27/10/2013
» What began as a supposed attempt to stamp out elephant poaching has turned into a conflict of jumbo proportions.
Out of mind, in plain sight
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 21/07/2013
» Son was a familiar figure wandering aimlessly and obviously "out of it" in Rangsit district, where he lived in a local temple. Rescue workers came to the temple in response to a call from a concerned citizen and took him for treatment at a government mental hospital, and slowly he regained his wits and memory. Son couldn't remember anything about his family but fortunately they did not forget him. Now he is safe, recuperating at his home in Chaiyaphum province. Son is one of a lucky few suffering from severe mental illness on the streets who receive attention and help. Most suffer in silence and loneliness.
'Human cargo in need of compassion'
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 03/02/2013
» 'Why is this not human trafficking? If this is not human trafficking, what else could it be?'' asked an emotional Abdul Kalam, coordinator of Thailand's Rohingya National Organisation. He was referring to the decision last Monday to repatriate Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state. The National Security Council, along with the Foreign Ministry, ruled that human trafficking plays no part in the rickety boats full of Rohingya that have washed up on Thai shores because there was no evidence of slave labour, forced prostitution or forced begging. Therefore the Rohingya can stay a maximum of six months in Thailand before they are sent back to Myanmar.
Seized wildlife trapped in legal limbo
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 20/01/2013
» The death of an elephant taken in a raid on a private elephant park in Kanchanaburi province in April last year highlights the strain on state agencies charged with taking custody of seized wildlife. The female elephant and 18 others were taken after park owners failed to provide proper identification documents and turned over to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang province to await legal proceedings.
Easy guns bring Wild West mentality
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 18/11/2012
» In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are much cheaper, and don't involve the hassle of registering the guns as required under Thai law.
No good deed: Fight heats up over 'abandoned' temple
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 30/09/2012
» A dispute over the legality of a temple on a remote island lake in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon is shedding light on the problem of abandoned and disused wats.
Herbs and vices: krathom a killer to some, curative to others
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 16/09/2012
» More than 20,000 krathom trees in Nakhon Si Thammarat province have reportedly been cut down in the past few years as part of the government's policy to suppress the growing popularity of ''4X100'' krathom formulas among young people. It is not known how many more thousands of the trees may have been destroyed in other southern provinces. Many people say the harsh measures are unwarranted as krathom by itself has long been used as a traditional medicine and its effects are mild.
Clean needles mean less damage done
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 08/07/2012
» Providing clean needles and syringes to intravenous drug users is a proven way to slow the spread of HIV infection. It's the cornerstone of an approach known as harm reduction that has had success around the world.
Merger of HIV/Aids plans praised, but follow-up needed
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 24/06/2012
» HIV/Aids activists are hailing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's decision in a cabinet meeting on Thursday to merge medical benefits for those suffering from the disease. But they caution that treatment standards must be set and maintained once the merger goes forward.
Map Ta Phut locals demand say in industrial safeguards
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 20/05/2012
» Two weeks after two horrific chemical accidents at Map Ta Phut industrial estate left 12 people dead and hundreds injured, many who reside near the estate are still living in fear. They are demanding to know why there were no effective safeguards in place to protect them despite many chemical accidents occurring in the area over the past few years.