Pommahakan plight
By Joanna Lee
Set right in the centre of the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok or also known as the City of Angels, the people of Pommahakan are living a traditional lifestyle that dates back to more then 200 years. Amidst all the modern development surrounding this community, they have been carefully preserving its sacred trees, old houses and traditions.
Stepping into Pommahakan is like stepping into the past, as if time stops. There is a vast difference between the world outside the wall to that which is inside it.
This community is one of Thailand’s most significant cultural heritages. Currently, it is facing the threat of eviction by the local authorities. The government has plans to build a park over the land, similar to Central Park in New York City. This may seem like a good idea, as evicting the community from that area would take away one of the ‘eye sores’ in the city, as well as develop the area into a lucrative tourist attraction.
With them comes income for the government, but often at the expense of cultural heritage. From the local people’s point of view, it is home, and has been for six generations. Living in a place for such a long time, I am sure there would be a sense of belonging which is close to heart. And like any normal human being, they would do anything to defend their home.
Why is there always conflict between the people and their government? It rarely changes. The people of Pommahakan are not opposing the government’s
idea to build the park, but they are asking the government to include them in their plans. The community have built miniature model homes to show to the authorities. They are willing to compromise, asking for only 1/3 of the land for their community. However, their voices are not being heard. The mass media is not strong enough to check and balance for the government, and there is little public space for debate. There is just no place for the community to voice out their opinion.
The question to be asked now is: what is more important? For the government, profiting from the land appears to be their priority. For the people, preserving their home is more important. The only thing for sure is that nothing is for certain.
