Page 60 - Rights beautiful : collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

have by now become extinct, and for the most part they occur within the
tropical forests. 3
And finally, along with the forests and bio-diversity, there also
co-exist humans and society. That, again, poses the question of relationships
between man and nature, and for that matter, management and utilization
of natural resources. In a way, one is not quite sure if the term “management”
is actually appropriate in this context It sounds as if nature is entirely
under human control or even worse, domination and manipulation. That,
unfortunately, seems to be the case with modern scientific thinking and
practicing of the scientific West. At any rate, it is otherwise in traditional
Southeast Asia. In spite of century-old modernization and so-called development,
it still remains tradition-bound for the most part of its rural sector, that is,
as far as relationships with nature is concerned.
All this consideration brings us further to the question as to how
indigenous people and communities fare and sustain their lives in such
highly delicate and yet sustainable natural surroundings for centuries,
generations after generations. The first thing, as one sees it, is a real need
for a hard rethinking about what is termed “tradition”. For one thing, it is
certainly not just about religious rites, beliefs, superstition, or what not. In
essence, it represents a unique learning culture with spiritual value and
awareness, and yet not without scientific connotation and intuition. And
this, despite backwardness and underdevelopment, as is often assumed
especially among national modernizing elite within Southeast Asia
themselves. As well respected Indian scholars instructively put it thus:

3
Sumontha Prombun, “Bio-Diversity”, in Bio-Diversity in Thailand, (in Thai), Bangkok, Learn
on Line 2002, pp. 9-11.
Somsakdi Sukwonges, “Conservation of Bio-Diversity”, in Wiwat Katithamnit, ed., Bio-
Diversity and Sustainable Development, (in Thai), B.E. 2536, pp. 63-64.
The specific point concerning the tropical forests’ inter-relatedness and unifying entity was
already raised in the speaker’s keynote presentation at the lll MMSEA (Montane Mainland
Southeast Asia) Conference, Lijiang, Yunnan, 25-28 August 2002.

54 OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND