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Fifty-one-year-old farmer Wichian Srijannont lives and works in the village of Banwangnamkhao in Nong Bua Lam Phu province's Mueang district, some 600 kilometers northeast of Bangkok.
Like most of his neighbors, Wichian left school at an early age (13), having just finished Grade 6, so he could help his parents work in the rice fields. And while Wichian may appear at first glance to be just a 'regular' farmer, he is actually quite extraordinary, differing markedly in certain ways from his friends and neighbors.
 Wichian is known among his fellow villagers for fighting for what he believes in, particularly when it comes to dealing with government officials.
“On leaving school I continued to read, learning more and more about democracy,” he says, adding that the idea left a long-lasting impression on him.
Back then, though, Wichian never thought he would eventually get involved in trying to put some of the principles of democracy into practice, since the village was located in a very quiet, tranquil part of the country.
Things started to change over two years ago, however, when local residents began growing increasingly concerned over the future of the Lampaniang River, the only major river to run through the village. The villagers ended up asking Wichian to head the Lampaniang River Conservation Group, since his bold and defiant characteristics seemed ideal for the job. He seemed to possess a simple and clear vision, based on a deep understanding of the cultural and natural environments he shares with his friends and neighbors.
Living in harmony with nature
“I'd like to see our village being developed in a sustainable way. We live in a modest way in tandem with nature and give and take in a natural, harmonious way,” Wichian says.
In the country's northeastern plateau, drought can be a problem, and rivers and their banks are particularly important among villagers since they accommodate and generate fertile soil, and help trees, herbs, and other plants requiring high levels of humidity to grow, as well as providing a home to numerous small animal species that thrive in damp areas.
“To us, the river banks are like our supermarket, although we don't have to pay for anything! Many of our daily activities take place along the banks of the river, such as looking for vegetables or edible plants, hunting small animals, or just fishing in the river,” he said.
But over the past couple of years, the community's quiet and peaceful existence has come under threat.
According to the Information Center for Human Rights and Peace in the Northeast, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' Royal Irrigation Department has dredged and widened a 30-km stretch of the Lampaniang River as part of the Nong Bua Lam Phu water grid project. The work began in 2004, reaching Banwangnamkhao in 2006. The project represents the initial stage of a large-scale irrigation development plan for the region, including water management and allocation.
The river was widened from 7-10 meters to about 70 m, and now instead of thriving damp river banks, locals now have to make do with dry, red-colored dirt.
Wichian's next-door neighbors, along with over 140 other landowners in the province, lost part of their land to the project, although Wichian stood firm, denying officials and their workers access to his farmland. The project came to a halt once villagers filed lawsuits against the authorities in a bid to claim compensation for their losses.
A 10-km stretch of land within Banwangnamkhao village was affected by the widening work carried out under the development project, and so the Lampaniang River Conservation Group early this month launched its own project aimed at reviving the river banks and reestablishing residents' traditional ways of life.
The initiative began by getting villagers, along with 120 schoolchildren, to plant trees and local flora along the river banks. Local schools got involved by organizing awards for winners of a painting competition under the theme 'Preserving Our Lampaniang River'.
“We have to ensure our river banks become fertile again for the benefit of our children,” Wichian said. “That way, future generations will again get the opportunity to learn how to live in harmony with nature.”
Preserving local wisdom
Banwangnamkhao is among hundreds of other villages in Isarn that have been targeted by development projects initiated in the name of improving residents' standard of living.
However, the term 'development', when used by government authorities, tends to differ in meaning from the interpretation of many locals, including Wichian.
“I'd like to see the authorities help us develop our natural, traditional ways by means of even more efficient practice rather than just let them introduce projects that are clearly not suitable, or don't account for villagers' simple, traditional ways of life,” he says.
Wichian says some other forms of assistance offered by the authorities to local villagers were more effective than the destructive dredging project. For example, the authorities helped strengthen a dam that was once made of rocks and wood, and was prone to collapse, by constructing an improved version made of concrete.
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Wichian says the dam is part of a simple irrigation scheme that had been passed down from one generation to the next. This creates a form of natural 'reservoir', which feeds small man-made channels, providing a useful form of irrigation for the rice fields located far from the river. This kind of assistance is welcomed by the villagers since it reduces the amount of maintenance work required by them while protecting the ecological system.
“We don't wish to resist development, but we'd like to see development projects that stem from our local wisdom and don't damage our ecology. We want to continue to practice our own traditional ways of life and farming,” Wichian says.
Wichian says he also monitors the plight of other villages in the region to keep abreast of trends and developments. He says many development projects lean towards a capitalist and materialistic approach, which leads locals to involuntarily lose their traditional ways.
Projects based on high technology, which claim to help increase productivity, actually forced locals to spend more money on expensive farm equipment and maintenance, he says.
“I've come to the conclusion that we should rely on sustainable development, which is based on living in harmony with nature.”
Cultivating farmers' rights
To help prepare his friends and neighbors for the possible arrival of development projects, Wichian plans to seek assistance from a leading educational institution in the region to moderate a workshop on citizens' rights, as well as raising awareness on the preservation of natural and cultural resources.
Wichian says it's important to adjust villagers' misunderstandings, such as their feeling that authorities and wealthy individuals or groups are their 'masters', who hold power and have the right to give orders.
This 'inferiority complex' can be traced back through the history of Isarn. The people in the northeast have undergone several difficult experiences, which have led the powers that be in Bangkok to suppress their culture and traditions.
“People are under the impression that all natural resources belong to the government,” he says. “And they even believe that land they lawfully own can be taken back by the government at any time and for any reason.”
Wichian also plans to expand his network to include more social workers from government and non-governmental agencies, who could help support and nurture practices that promote sustainable development and empowerment at a grassroots level.
Hopes and dreams
Just as the newly-planted trees along the banks of the Lampaniang River are being cared for, Wichian hopes that villagers' awareness of their rights and the need to protect local ecology will also be nurtured.
By learning from the recent experiences, Wichian says, villagers must now try to thoroughly understand the positive and negative impacts of development projects, while concerned government agencies should provide transparent information.
“I want people to understand that they have the right to think and choose for themselves. Our knowledge of farming and of living close to nature is too precious to just give in to the whims of government. I predict that if we can preserve our ecology, we'll be able to survive,” he says. “But if we can't, we won't.”
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Life in Thailand 
Life in Thailand
Thai ways of living - be it countryside or city - have their own distinct styles, rhythms and habits. The kingdom, and especially Bangkok, is also home to an interesting variety of locals and expatriates. Learn about the views and lives of local and expatriate communities, in addition to helpful tips for those exploring and living a Life in Thailand.
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