SANE Newsletter
June 2003

Letter to the Lt.Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

24th December, 2002

To

Hon'ble Mr. Vakkom Purushothaman
Lieutenant Governor
AandN Islands
Raj Niwas
Port Blair.

Re: "First Andaman Regatta" and Tourism Development

Respected Sir,

We have come across reports in the local press about the "First Andaman Regatta" scheduled to be held in first week of January,1994 in which you have very kindly consented to give away the prizes.

We have some misgivings about the promoters of this Regatta and would, therefore, like to submit the following for your kind consideration. The Regatta, as we understand, is being promoted by groups based in Phuket, an Island system in Thailand. Phuket gets a million tourists a year and therefore,appears to be a very successful model of tourism development at first sight. Phuket had excellent coral patches and reefs, pristine forest and an indigenous population engaged in subsistence agriculture and fisheries before the transnational companies arrived on the scene and "developed" the Island. There has been so much construction and reclamation of low land/paddy land for hotel development that "Phuket", which means a hill in their language, would very soon become flat - according to a current local joke there. In Phuket, the Government appeals to the farmers to forego a second crop of rice because scarce water is required to maintain the lawns of imported grass in the five star hotels and golf courses. The hotels are mostly owned by foreigners and transnational groups. Phuket has Homo-sexual clubs, and even a Transvestite Club. Flesh trade in rampant. To combat the terrible inflation to eke out a living, most local girls and women today are employed masseurs, waitresses, housekeepers in hotels and such other jobs. It has a substantial Muslim population and there is a sacred tree much like the one as in our Mazar on the Corbyn's Cove road. The local people go there and hang a piece of coloured cloth to seek a boon. From the same tree also hangs a wooden board proclaiming "Goblin" an open-air bar that serves alcoholic beverage to the tourists. The indigenous people, the sea-gypsies, have lost their ancestral burial ground in a nearby Island to tourism developers who have erected a sea-wall with barbed fencing the sea to deny the sea-gypsies seeding a shelter even in storms. The mindless developments (five star hotels inside National Parks) have taken their toll. Today the beaches are polluted, - the waters are polluted with coli forms, the corals dead and the flow of tourists declining. The tourists to Phuket are on record having stated that they are disappointed and would never come back. The promoters, having made their money, now are looking for other pristine Island systems to start the cycle all over again. They have selected the Andamans, the Similin Islands and the Burma Bank as their new targets. I am alarmed that the first ad-film promoting tourism in Andamans has been made by one such Phuket based group, asking potential tourists to book their tour at Phuket.

The first entry of Phuket-based entrepreneurs came with the opening of the Andamans Scuba Diving Society started by Phuket-toruism graduate. Next came the ad-film- and now this Regatta by Transnational interests. Sir, kindly consider for a moment hat the advance party of the Regatta has a Yacht with a British Crew but the Yacht is registered in Kenya while it is coming from Phuket to Andamans. It is like an ordinary Andaman citizen registering his car in Srinagar and participating in a Rally from Trivandrum to Hyderabad. Ships and boats are usually registered in a third Country by unscrupulous owners to take advantage of the laxity in the law of certain developing Countries.

I had lent Dr. Sanat Kaul, the then Chief Secretary, a video-cassette of a documentary film on Phuket and requested him that the Lt. Governor be shown the documentary and briefed. I do not know, Sir, whether you have seen this documentary. In case you have not yet seen it, I would be very happy to make it available to you. We, as much as you, are interested in development of Andamans, including the Tourism and the Fisheries sectors.

Our earnest appeal to you is to kindly demand an adequate briefing, both about the pros and cons on these subjects, so that you are in a position to take really informed decisions in the interest of the islands and the islanders. We are confident that your decisions would be just, wise and equitable.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

(signed) SAMIR ACHARYA

Phuket and Port Blair: Twin Cities!

The Daily Telegram of 27th June, 2003, announced that the Port Blair Municipal Council has passed a resolution twinning Port Blair city with Phuket to promote "International understanding and strengthening the relationship between Port Blair and Phuket through tourism , education and culture, urban development, solid waste management, commerce and investment" . The PBMC has also made a budgetary provision of 30 lakhs for this purpose for the current year.

The idea of a closer relationship with Phuket came up for the first time in 1993, when the first Andaman Regatta from Phuket was proposed. SANE had made some enquiries and had submitted a note to Dr. Sanat Kaul, the then Chief Secretary. A letter protesting the idea of a closer relationship with Phuket was also sent to Mr. Vakkom Purushothaman, the then Lieutenant Governor.

The situation has not changed much since 1993. It would be difficult to make a worse choice than Phuket for twinning with Port Blair. Let us examine the sectors identified for co-operation one by one.

Tourism

Phuket gets more than a million tourists a year. That is really tempting. But let us see at what cost and with what effect. The very recent study of the American University, Washington DC, USA found , " Tourism has become Thailand's living source of foreign exchange and thus plays an unquestionably important role in the Thai economy. 5.3 million tourists visited the Country in 1990, the figure that is expected to double in the next four years. In 1989 the Industry generated 3.64 billion US Dollars and it is believed that the figure will reach 32 billion US Dollar by the year 2000. At the same time Thailand is suffering from many of the negative aspects of tourism including prostitution, drug addiction, AIDS, erosion of traditional values, increases in the cost of living, unequal income distribution, and rapid increases in land prices in some locations,

pollution and environmental degradation. From the destruction of coral and marine life due to water activities such as boating and scuba diving, and waste dumping by restaurants and hotels, as well as uncontrolled building of tourist facilities on Islands such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangnam and Phuket, to the deterioration of local culture in the hill tribes of the North, to the slavery of young children and women in the prostitution industry that has led to the rampant spread of AIDS, Thailand can be seen as fast approaching a crisis situation".

The American University was chartered by an Act of US Congress in 1893. Interested readers may visit their web site at www.american.edu/TED/thaitour.htm

Education and Culture

"On June 4th 1992 The National Environment Act was passed (by Thailand) but was beyond the means of the country to implement in the way of domestic skills and manpower. The environmental degradation taking place in relation to tourism is credited to such possible explanations as lack of information and technology, lack of skills by Thai planners in the field of "recreation management", lack of authority for proper implementation, lack of co-ordination among govt. officials and Departments, lack of long term thinking and planning and lac of resources. Also inhibiting environmental protection are: The power of economic gain over all other concerns, as well as corruption in Govt. and the predominance of outside ownership of tourist facilities, who do not have as vested an interest in the long term condition of the location as they are more free to get up and move when the tourists leave. Most tourism business owners are outsiders who immigrated to the Islands after the tourism boom. Some local residents even pessimistically commented that business owners do not realize the importance of environment conservation because they just came to make profit. When the Island is totally destroyed and cannot give benefits to them any more, they will leave," (American University).

Urban Development

The American University found that "the Island is increasingly suffering from water as well as power shortages; the Island had noticeably deteriorated from 1992 to 1995. Chaweng Beach, the main tourist destination is no longer a pretty sight. The main road, once relatively peaceful with long back stretches of undeveloped land interspersed with local market, a few restaurants, bars and stores, is now alight with glowing neon of and"girlie' bars", tattoo parlours, tourists shops, a continuous selection of restaurants, some monstrous discotheques and constant honking and screeching of endless number of taxies and pick-up trucks etc etc.

Solid Waste Management

"The American University says, "the marine environment has suffered equally, from the destruction of coral by anchors and scuba divers, as well as pollution from the motor boats and the continuous dumping of untreated waste that is pumped into the sea by the resorts along the shore." A Thai newspaper reported that the Island cannot effectively cope with 75% of the waste that is created each day. The 75% is burned, buried or dumped at sea."

"The overflow of tourists to the town of Pattaya, which received three millions visitors in 1989 led to a faecal contamination increase of 75% from 1977 to 1987. This pushed the Thai Govt. to suspend tourism development in 19 National parks, and to construct artificial coral reefs to counteract marine damage by tourists and fisherman using explosives.

Commerce and Investment

Ryan Bishop and Lillian S. Robinson wrote (in 1998) that Thailand's "economic miracle" was a success because tourism; heavily dependent on the sex industry, brought in 4 billion dollars per year".

History of Tourism Development in Thailand

In 1967 the US Government made an arrangement with Thai Government to send its soldiers fighting the Vietnam War on R and R (Rest and Relaxation) vacations to Thailand. The American soldiers quickly nicknamed Rand R as I and I (Intercourse and Intoxication), taking advantage of the existing sex industry which earlier catered to the local people. In fact, Senator J. William Fulbright asked whether R and R is "an American Brothel".

The sixteen million dollars spent by the American Soldiers in 1967 gave a boost both to the Thai economy and the sex trade. In early 1980s the number of Thai prostitutes was estimated at one million when population of Thailand was only 45 millions. There were 400,000 more women than men in Bangkok, the Country's capital, and 89% of all tourists were male.

Once Vietnam War was over, the American soldiers went home, and this revenue gap was quickly bridged by promotion of tourism. The ready availability of sex workers transformed the character of tourism from a nature and culture oriented one to the sex oriented one.

The World Health Organization estimated that between 45,000 to 50,000 Thai people had AIDS in 1989, and that possibly one out of every two prostitutes in the Northern region was infected with the disease. The AIDS problem as well as the prostitution issue was left untouched for many yeas for fear of harming the tourism industry. The growing recognition, however, of the long term effects of such a policy has led to greater efforts to curb sex tourism and to initiate AIDS education and precautionary measures such as distributing condoms and issuing health cards.

The UNAIDS/WHO EPIDEMIOLOGICAL Fact Sheet states that In Bangkok, HIV prevalence among sex workers tested (both direct and indirect combined) has ranged from 7 to 18 percent between 1990 and 1996. Outside of Bangkok, HIV prevalence among sex workers tested (both direct and indirect) increased from 5 percent to 20 percent. HIV prevalence rates are highest in the Northern provinces ranging from 16 to 57 percent among direct sex workers. Since 1988, HIV prevalence among IV drug users tested has remained between 20 and 45 percent both in and outside of Bangkok. Among antenatal clinic attendees tested in Bangkok, HIV prevalence increased from 0.2 percent in 1990 to 2 percent in 1994. In 1997, 1 percent of antenatal clinic women tested were HIV positive. Outside Bangkok, HIV prevalence among antenatal clinic attendees increased from no infection detected in 1990 to 2% in 1994. HIV prevalence among this group has reached as high as 10% in provinces in the North.

Know THAILAND the host Country of your Twin City, Phuket:

- Thailand had a population of 60.6 millions in the year 2000

- Thailand got 9.57 million tourists in 2000

- There were more than 1 million sex workers in the Country

- The number of Child prostitutes was estimated between 200,000 to 250,000

- 9 out of 10 child beggars on the streets of Thailand are bought and sold to be smuggled over the border to Cambodia for sex trade

- Girls from Myanmar are regularly smuggled in and sold to the sex trade operators in Thailand

- In 1999, 66,000 people died of AIDS in Thailand

- In 1999, 755,000 people were living with AIDS or were HIV positive

- In 1998 a study reveals that tourism; heavily dependant on the sex industry brings in four billion dollars annually.

- Interested readers may visit Phuket and Thailand Travel information on their website www.phuket-info.com to see Phuket girls: The beauty from Land of smiles, classified as Cute Girls, Sexy Girls, Young Girls and Lady Boys. Photographs and descriptions of the girls are also shown on the web page.

The Phuket Connection

(A note submitted by SANE to Dr. Sanat Kaul, the then Chief Secretary in 1993)

Phuket, a tiny group of once-green Islands in a once-aqua marine sea in Thailand gets a million tourists a year. Even three decades ago, Phuket was green, hilly and self sustaining with a substantial population of indigenous people, the sea-gypsies, who were traditionally fishermen. Phuket means hilly in the local language but today Phuket is as flat as a table. The high lands were cut for filling the low lands and mangroves for property development, mainly for the tourist trade. The local farmers were tempted or coerced into selling their paddy land for development of five star hotels and golf courses. The bureaucracy is corrupt to such an extent that posh hotels owned by transnationals were permitted to block public roads, cut off access to public beaches and even construct hotels inside proclaimed National Parks, all against the laws of the land.

Today, Phuket boasts of homosexual clubs, transvestite clubs and rampant flesh-trade. It is a heaven for pedophiles. Child prostitution in Phuket beats any other destination in the world. A Neon-sign in Phuket openly proclaims "Uncle Charlie's boys for men".

There is a holy place much like the Mazar on the Corbyn's'Cove Road at Port Blair where the believers go and light incense sticks and hang a coloured cloth from a Banyan tree praying for the fulfillment of their wishes. Phuket has a predominantly Muslim population and consumption of alcohol is prohibited by the religion. Nevertheless, today, a wood plaque hanging from the Sacred Tree proclaims "Goblin's Bar" and a lot of plastic chairs and tables in the shade of the tree testify to the strength of the tourism developers, even against popular opinion and local culture.

Phuket, like Andamans, although enjoying a high rainfall is short of fresh water. The available water traditionally used for rice cultivation is today taken away by the five star hotels and golf courses to maintain their lawns of imported grass. The Govt. had appealed to the remaining rice farmers to forego a second rice crop as the precious water was needed to maintain the lawns and the gold courses.

Ms. Prathima Vasan, former Joint Secretary of SANE visited Phuket recently and met the rural people. She learnt that former rice farmers who lost their land to Hotel Developments, today, grow a bit of hashish around their home and force their wives to produce a large number of children. They sell 3 or 4 daughters for child prostitution to enable the rest of the family survive.

A female child in Phuket today has more than an even chance of eventually becoming either a waitress or housekeepers or masseuse or a child prostitute; all with the same devastating effect. Thailand, which is an area of 1.15% of Asia's land mass and 1.76% of population today harbours a full 50% of all known HIV positive cases in Asia.

The very long time ago when Phuket was attacked by the Burmese army, and the Governor of Phuket was away at Bangkok, the wife of the Governor had organized civic resistance and saved Phuket from the Burmese onslaught. A statue of the Governor's wife commemorates the valiant stand at an important town square in Phuket even today. The present Governor's wife, laments the Phuket Environmental Protection Association, is heavily involved in promotion of tourism. Who should Phuket turn to for survival?

Must Andamans follow in the footsteps of Phuket?

Copy of a letter sent to Mr. R. Rajamani, Secretary, MoEF, Govt. of India

New Delhi on 1st February, 1994.

To

Mr. R. Rajamai
Secretary
Ministry of Environment andForests
Govt. of India
Paryavaran Bhavan
New Delhi

Re: Unsustainable Tourism Development

Dear Sir,

Last year the first ad-film promoting Andaman Tourism was released by the Phuket(Thailand) based group called South Asian Divers inviting prospective tourists to book their tour to Andamans at Phuket.

Phuket, as you must be aware, has today become a symbol of how not to develop tourism in an Island ecosystem. We had brought this to the notice of our Hon'ble Lt. Governor when we read in the newspapers that the participants of a Regatta from Phuket to Andamans were being given a red-carpet welcome by the Administration. In fact the Lt. Governor himself visited to Yachts and gave away the prizes. He has also desired that a second Regatta from Phuket should be organized soon.

We enclose a copy of our letter to the Lt. Governor in this connection together with a rejoinder we had sent to a local newspaper which records our reservations about importing Phuket-type tourism development to these Islands. We are afraid that the unscrupulous Phuket-based transnational tour-promoters would cause a similar destruction in both our natural and cultural heritage and would leave Andamans in a couple of decades to look for a greener pasture elsewhere. Thailand today boasts of harbouring half of all known HIV positive cases in the whole of Asia.

We appeal to you to kindly take some time out and watch the documentary film "Thailand for Sale" available with the CSE in Delhi and to kindly initiate urgent action (a) to stop the entry of transnational tour-promoters (particularly the graduates of Phuket/Thailand) and (b) to lay down clear guidelines for a sustainable development of tourism in the islands.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

(signed) SAMIR ACHARYA

Copies to:
1. Prof. Shekhar Singh, IIPA, New Delhi
2. Mr. Anil Agarwal, CSE, New Delhi
3. Mr. Kartikeya Sarkar, CEE
4. Mr. Nalini Jayal, INTACH
5. Dr. AGK Menon, Prof. Emeritus, ZSI
6. Mr. P. Kannan, Regional Director, Wildlife
7. Mr. Parthasarathy, Additional Secretary, DST
8. Mr. Samar Singh, Secreatry General, WWF
9. Mr. Ashok Khosla, Development Alternative
10. Ms. Dilnawaz Variava, Vice Chairman, BNHS

Central Empowerment Committee Meeting, a Mockery

Port Blair, June 26

The meeting of the Central Empowerment Committee was held at the conference hall of Hotel Megapode Nest, Port Blair on 26th June between 9.00 am and 11.00 am. Representatives of political parties, social workers, business men and individuals from all corners of the islands submitted their suggestions and grievances before the committee, expecting favourable decision on their part. Certain individuals not knowing what the CEC is, took the opportunity to lodge their protest against the Administration for not giving permit to run busses in between Diglipur and Rangat, imposing restrictions on cutting coconut trees, not giving timely promotions to the Govt. servants etc. But to every ones' surprise the lone Member of Parliament Mr. BP Ray known for grabbing the opportunity for his long lectures and explanations wherever and whatever the situation may be remained mum till the two hour long meeting was over.

One Mr. Perumal from Swaraj Dal party came out bursting with anger before the CEC for not letting the people of the islands know about the SC Order in time. He said, "It is only after the ban was imposed that the people came to know about the Order passed by SC." He even went up to saying that the SC is a devil, imposing rules on the poor islanders for no fault of theirs. "The SC had appointed a person called Shekar Singh to survey the islands without checking his qualification. The only qualification of Shekar Singh is that he is the son of the former Chief Commissioner and that he is in good terms with the IAS officers in New Delhi." This is not natural justice, he said.

Mr. Hari Narayan Arora, State President, BJP, took the opportunity to suggest the CEC that the land marked for re-habilitation package is not appropriate and should be changed to a different venue. He further demanded that the plywood factory and private saw mills should be opened once again. Supporting Mr. Arora's suggestion, Mr. A.R. Marudhavaanan, Chairperson, Port Blair Municipal Council, also the State Organizer DMK said that there is ample water available in the forest and therefore it would not be appropriate if the encroachers were removed from inside the forest and shifted to a different place as suggested in the package. While he was totally for the proposed package, he just demanded that the encroachers should be allowed to remain in the same place.

Dr. Madhukrishnan representing the newly formed association called "Dweep Bachao, Desh Bachao" played a good role before the CEC after coming out of a hunger strike. He protested the proposed package and said that most of the encroachers are foreign nationals and should be sent back. He also protested the Administration's move in giving Identity Card to these foreigners who have links with the foreign poachers. "The proposed package and the cut off date for issuing I-Cards being extended up to 7th May 2002 is arbitrary and discriminatory." As a solution to this he suggested that the encroachers should be sent back to the mainland. The GoI may consider giving them some money on humanitarian ground.

Madhukrishnan showing his concern for the Nicobari Tribals pleaded before the CEC to consider allowing extraction of timber for the daily use of the tribals.

Mr. Paras Ram President of the Senior Citizens Forum demanded that the Inner Line Permit should be implemented in Toto and no package should be given to the encroachers as they are Law breakers. The encroachers and the officers involved in destruction of the fragile eco system should be punished, he added.

The Local Borns' Association too had similar demands as that of Paras Ram and Madhukrishna. They said that the pre-78 encroachment may be considered for relief but the post -78 encroachment should not be encouraged.

The Nationalist Congress Party too was against the proposed package for the encroachers. It felt that this kind of package will bring discrimination among the peace loving people of these islands. They demanded for a survey to check the number of school going students who would be forced to leave school and consider some relief to them. Apart from this the party protested the closure of the Andaman Trunk Road explaining that it is the life line of the islands.

The Ranchi Association coming out with their representation pleaded that the package should be given to all affected. The pre-78 and the post '78 encroachers should be considered equal and that package should be given to all, it demanded. Belonging to the category of Schedule Tribes, they expressed their concern for the Jarawa tribe which is being exploited.

The Jarawas are seen chewing pan, khaini etc. which is bad and should be checked.

The Nicobari Association represented by Mr. Richardson demanded that small machinery for slicing of coconut trees may be allowed in their district.

At the end the business community affected by the order for closure of saw mills requested the CEC to consider re-opening of the Saw Mills. They felt that the saw mills here are licenced but are still forced to close whereas in the mainland only the unlicenced saw mills were ordered to close.

Overall the meeting turned out to be a mockery. The two hours allotted for the meeting seemed to be very less with hundreds of encroachers breaking in the conference hall expecting justice on spot. Towards the end of the meeting the situation turned out to be like a musical chair where the politicians and union leaders were singing songs, turning their back to the CEC and facing the audience while the audience trying to encroach chairs as soon as a person gets up. Even the Deputy Commissioner was forced to get up.

The CEC had no other option left than to run away from the place carrying four thick bundles of files filled with representations, trying to act polite to the audience by wearing a smile on their faces.

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