DOUGLAS D. ANDERSON, Ph.D., U. Pennsylvania 1967 Professor of Anthropology and Director, Laboratory for Circumpolar Studies Anthropology Phone: +1 401 863 3251 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              Phone 2: +1 401 863 7060 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              E-mail: Douglas_Anderson@Brown.EDU Douglas D. Anderson's Brown Research URL: http://research.brown.edu/myresearch/Douglas_D._Anderson

Dear Mr. Leger,

            I am in full agreement with your aims to protect the limestone karst areas of Krabi – not only because of the destruction of important archaeological sites, but also of the unique beauty of the region.  Over the past 50 years I have seen several important karst mountains destroyed in the area just south of Talaat Keo, as well as in the vicinity of Phangnga.  I am disturbed that the destruction is now targeting the area between Krabi and Ao Luk as well.  I certainly want to encourage you in all your efforts, though it seems as if greed for profits triumphs over all else – in Thailand as elsewhere.

            The best way to slow down such destruction is to highlight something in each of the places to be preserved – such as nominating archaeological sites as national or international heritage sites, or getting some company to advertise the area as a money-making  tourist attraction (even though tourism has many evils in itself, it may be the only way to offset the cement companies and their insatiable greed for lime.

            Best regards,  Douglas D. Anderson

--------------------

BIOGRAPHY : In 1960 Anderson graduated in Anthropology (major) and Geology (minor) from the University of Washington before going to Brown University as the first graduate student in the field of anthropology thee, with a focus in Arctic anthropology. After his MA in 1962 he spent a Fulbright year in Denmark studying Arctic collections at the Nationalmuseet and excavating in Godthaab Fjord, Greenland. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Ph.D. 1967. He began teaching at Brown University in 1965, and in 1973 developed the department's Laboratory for Circumpolar Studies, located at the university's Haffenreffer Museum of anthropology, Bristol Rhode Island. In the 1970's he expanded his research interests to include Southeast Asia, with a focus on Pleistocene and Early-Middle Holocene archaeology.

Extract of : The Unseen of 40,000 Years old Krabi Man (Document for Public Relations edited by Klin Kongmuenpet)

The excavation at Lang-rong-rian Rockshelter
- " Lang-rong-rien Cave of Rock Shelter is one of the site that archeologist found many evidences. It is located behind Ban-tub prik School, Muang Districk, Krabi Province and is about 75 meters above the sea level.
Dr Douglas D. Anderson from Brown University, USA, and his team had excavated the cave. They found that there are 10 stratigraphic units (layers) of soil from the top to the rock floor. Each layer traced back to the archeological activities.
From the first top soil to the fourth, the remains of a burial site with skeleton was found with coarse household pottery and an aex. These fossils can be dated back to 6 500 - 5000 B.P.
The fith and the sixth unit can be dated back to the Early Holocene Period. Remains of many tools were found in these two units, such as, whetstine, stone hammer, long knife, stone for grating and chopping, and pottery. They can be dated back to 7 500 - 9000 B.P.
In the seventh unit, only limestone is found. But, in the eightth unit, they found remains of ash and evidence of habitation. The most impirtant clues are the elephant skull, bones of some mammals.
Lower down to the ninth unit, they found remains of campfire, ash, pieces of bones, flakes aged between 27 000 - 37 000 years old.
In the tenth unit, they did not find remains of campfire, coal or charred bone, but thay found remains of stone tools in many shapes aged than 43 000 yeras ago.
These interested evidences from Pleistocene Age indicate that the Homo sapiens used the fragment of flakes as tools. Caves and rock shelters served as temporary campsaites? They used the natural resources foudn in theur environment. There were no evidence of other activities in the caves? These homo sapiens knew the use of fire and can select materials from nature to use as tools. " ...

 

Dear Sir,

We were very touched by your call for assistance. This is why the GoodPlanet Foundation decided to give you our support and support your steps.
You will find enclosed a letter for your attention.

We wish you much courage and a great success in your step.

Very sincerely,

============
Manuella Huque
Partenariats associatifs et institutionnels - partenariat@goodplanet.org - www.goodplanet.org

GOODPLANET  is a recognized foundation of public utility created and presided by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
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Toute l’information environnementale sur www.goodplanet.info et l’inscription sur http://bit.ly/boyN3m
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fondation GoodPlanet
Domaine de Longchamp
1, carrefour de Longchamp
75116 Paris – France

Monsieur Mark Léger
Village de Tab Prik - Thaïlande

Paris, le 26 avril 2010

Dear Sir,

The GoodPlanet Foundation took note of all the problems and your devotion to fight against the illegal quarries which start in Krabi area. We greet your engagement to preserve the natural resources of Thailand.

We fully share your distress and we do not remain insensitive to this ecological catastrophe. We encourage you to contact all the personalities, the scientists and local associations in order to promote the beauties and the richness of this area. You will be able to then call upon the urgency to preserve “emerald” of Thailand near the competent authorities.

For all these reasons, the GoodPlanet Foundation supports you to persevere in your steps of information, search and dialog in order to defend the biodiversity of the karstic mountains inhabitants of Thailand, for the present generations and future.

Very sincerely,

GoodPlanet Fondation

Manuella Huque
Partenariats associatifs et institutionnels - partenariat@goodplanet.org - Tel : +33 (0) 1 48 42 92 49

David Wayne Rees
Ratchaprasong News : Not related directly to the red shirts but an interesting site relating to the corruption which is slowly destroying this wonderful country.
http://www.soskrabi.com/files_ENG/00_eng_base.html

To the attention of the government of Thailand,

Can't your beautiful country live without sacrificing its nature and forest to bloodsucker companies which will only left ruins and desolation to next generations ?
The Krabi exemple underlines the little interest brought to nature. Moreover, this mountain spoliation is illegal but seems to be allowed by you.
Over the massive destruction of a tremendous natural heritage, this rape of the nature also destroyes some precious prehistoric remains.

I ask you to take all measures to stop this destruction and impose a fine on the companies responsible for these destructions.

Thanks and regards,

E. GUEREMY
France

 

Authorities of Thailand,

We just recently discovered that Thai companies are destroying the rare karsts of Krabi. After reading the information provided on the website soskrabi.com and having seen the massive ecological damage that has already occured, both my Thai wife and i would like to submit an urgent request that the local authorities put a stop to this illegal activity immediately. 

    The destruction of these ecological and archeological treasures that make Krabi and Thailand so unique is absolutely saddening. We are so surprised that the Thai authorities would allow this to happen. Such behavior will surely have a severely negative impact on the local ecology, archeology, and tourism. Not to mention that both foreign and local interest in the land sector and value of the neighboring land areas will devalue greatly with these ominous mining scars destroying what was once one of the most spectacular panoramic views on the planet. 

   Limestone and other aggregates used for construction are abundant throughout Thailand and we see no reason for it to be extracted from areas with primary forest, archeological sites, and national ecological monuments of great local and touristic appeal. Both my wife and i plan to notify as as many Thais and foreigners as we can and inform them of this surprising ecological destruction that is presently occurring in Krabi.

   We respectfully request for the involved companies and Thai authorities to please consider protecting the rare and famous heritage of Krabi, Thailand and close down this mining activity immediately. These karsts are priceless national treasures that attract thousands of visitors and animals to the area year after year. To quote the soskrabi.com website, "The future is in our hands. Let's not make lead with gold…!".

Sincerely,

      T & R
    Thailand