Showing 1 - 9 of 9
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.
Nationalist agenda stirred ahead of temple meeting
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 07/04/2013
» Thai villagers living near the disputed territory around Preah Vihear are demanding that their ''traditional'' farmland be returned to them in a reflection of a nationalist agenda being nurtured on the border.
Cites wraps up in Bangkok to mixed reviews
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 17/03/2013
» The Cites conference wrapped up in Bangkok on Thursday with opinions sharply divided on what advances the meeting made to protect the planet's endangered species. What progress the host country has made in this regard was also a subject of intense debate.
'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.
In imperfect harmony
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 26/08/2012
» Buddhism has a long history of forest meditation. The setting provides a tranquil and fitting environment for the contemplation of dhamma and man's relationship with nature.
Are zoos cashing in on tiger trade?
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 26/02/2012
» Trade and trafficking in tigers and tiger parts in Thailand drew international attention following the seizure of 400kg of tiger meat and carcasses in Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district earlier this month. It's remained a thorny issue in Thailand despite global efforts to save the animals from extinction.
Salvaging a Buddhist sanctuary
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 05/02/2012
» A mong the major casualties of the recent floods was the 2,500-rai Buddhamonthon ("Buddhist park") religious park in Nakhon Pathom province. Today the park scarcely resembles the former green spiritual and recreational sanctuary in the shadow of Bangkok. The meticulously landscaped lawns are now covered with a thick layer of dried brown leaves and dead branches from trees and shrubs killed or severely shocked by the floodwaters that covered the park grounds for weeks. Many big trees were uprooted and still lie where they fell.