Thailand/Burma: Rivers of Ancient Memories diverted by Hydro

This is dedicated to the Karen Burmese many who live in Northern Thailand, in the jungles of Burma and in the urban areas. They went through the most extraordinary hardship under the military coup. Most of the citizens were enslaved in chain gangs.

As part of the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program we were taken to a museum in Thailand to look at the Insein Prison (accurate word) and how many Burmese were tortured for some reason or no reason. Around the same time I had the priviledge to clown in a 50,000 refugee camp called Ma Lae, it was an extraordinary experience introducing the children to mime and to clowns (never seen). As I walked through the camp with my American theatre colleague, with my red shock of hair and brightly coloured pants, I found myself waving and smiling at the Karen Burmese. In one moment I found I was surrounded by 200 children and very curious parents. What I noticed was when I brought joy to the children, the parents smiled. It was a joy to see them all smiling.

As part of our Peace Studies program, we visited Northern Thailand to explore the conflict over Dam building across the wild Salween River. The idea was to bring hydroelectric power, yet I did hear there was consideration of nuclear power. We interviewed the villagers, the environmentalists and the energy industry people. As you would expect completely different world views.

This poem was inspired by a visit to Ta Tong Village close to Burmese Border.

ANCIENT MEMORIES FADING

I have seen those seeking refuge
From murder,
For Burma was their home,
The mountains whisper peace,
The wild rivers are home to the fishes,
Their world is self sufficient,
For they are proficient in survival,
They understand the language of the wordless,
Yet those who come to speak with them,
Know only power and economy,
They were never shown as children the truth in simplicity and freedom,
For the community is not the circle that binds,
But is the home that embraces
All without discrimination.

I have visited the refugee camps,
That are shelters not homes,
Where running water is bottled,
And disease is the new enemy that has no mercy,
For they have been infected by a fever,
That hallucinates,
For those rambling are in governments,
Shackled by corruption and vested interests,
Leaving the innocent imprisoned behind national walls,
That allow no light to get in.

I have heard all the discussions,
I have seen imagined boundaries,
I have heard of brutality resisting the right to exist,
I have touched the Salween river,
And allowed it to run through my fingers,
To feel what is wild before it is tamed,
To visit traditional people before they are conditioned
To the ways of capital,
As signals from the capital,
Decide the fate of marginalized groups,
Who are diverse and don’t understand the implications
Of commercial imperatives,
For they are the dam busters,
They are log jams that block the flow of unfettered commercial opportunism,
For the world is watching,
As the crack widens,
For one cannot keep the finger in the dam wall,
As hydro is superseded by nuclear options,
And this is on the drawing board,
Yet millions could be spent to appease those with interests,
For it is not for the social good,
It is an Asian Energy Grid that buys and sells energy,
Yet from the origin it is free,
And this is the commodity of exchange worldwide,
That contracts as it expands.