Governance and Micropolitics of Traditional ... - IPRsonline.org

The healer also has a spirit to protect them and not just any person can be a healer. They may
have a dream or a vision that tells them that they should be, however Mee Leng indicated that
some people who have such visions do not want to take on a healers role due to the many
rituals, customs and taboos that are then placed on them. They may not be allowed to eat meat
or may not be able to sleep in the same bed as their spouse, lest they receive negative effects
from the spirits for behaving improperly as a healer (Mee Leng, Pers Comm 13/02/2006).
Leng and Mee Leng have heard about biopiracy cases and intellectual property rights on herbs
and plants from the local healers group. Mee Leng states that it is fine to be treated and to
learn about the herbs, however she indicated that if someone steals the herbs she will get sick
because a donation wasn’t paid – it is taboo. If this happens she must go and ask people and
try to find the person who took the herbs and then try to appease the spirits which protect
them. To find the person and appease the spirits she may have to visit a fortune teller. Such
customs are based on mixed Animist and Buddhist beliefs, and it was indicated that it is not
incompatible with the local beliefs of Christians (Leng; Mee Leng, Pers Comm 13/02/2006).
This section indicated some typical customs and rituals of Hmong healers, although it should
be noted that it was evident that there would also be variations about beliefs and practices
between individuals throughout the community.
Khao Khwan and Farming Communities Around Suphan Buri, Central Region.
Such examples of ‘traditional’ knowledge are not isolated only to community forests and to
the ethnic hill tribes peoples however. Another field site visited was the Khao Khwan
agricultural research and education centre. Two visits were made to the research centre in
February and June 2005. The primary function of the centre is for the education of farmers
about organic agricultural methods. The centre operates under a mix of ‘traditional’ and
modern principles and methods, and highlights the adaptations and different contexts inherent
in such a definition.
The centre is principled around the Theravadha Buddhist philosophies that dominate the
religion of Thailand. The name of the centre itself refers to the belief that there is a spirit
(Khwan) within rice (Khao) and all living things. Thus the centre puts an emphasis on a
holistic view of the agro-ecosystem surrounding primary crops and vegetable gardens. The
training of farmers in organic methods (agricultural production using no synthetic fertilisers
or pesticides) is one of the main goals of the education offered there. The centre uses natural
fertilisers such as the Azolla plant and nutrient fixing indigenous micro-organisms.
Furthermore the centre puts an emphasis on the selection of seeds – a skill that has been lost
by agriculturalists in many parts of the country. The selection of seeds allows for the
development of higher quality crops in following seasons, and reduces the occurrence of
blight, fungus and other grain defects. It is also a key activity in the development of new local
varieties that are well adapted to their surrounding conditions. Thus the centre effectively
applies ‘traditional practice’ to modern techniques and even modern plant varieties (Daycha,
Siripat, Pers Comm; Vanakorod Surawit, Pers Comm). These techniques are taught to farmers
who then apply them on their own land holdings, and share them with friends and neighbours.
The program has been so successful that a similar education program has been established by
the DoA, primarily with the aim of promoting organic agriculture to fuel the ongoing demand
of this niche market (Titiprasert, Wichar, Pers Comm. 2005).
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