news feature

Thanks to Her Royal Highness Princess Chulaborn Mahidol, a communist camp formerly occupied by the Malayan People's Army or Rejimen10 in Sukhirin, southern Thailand, will soon be converted into a tourist site.

According to Ban Chulaborn Patana's village head, Dome Binza, the Thai government will be spending about 30 million baht to reconstruct the camp and return it to its original form in the 1950s.

Nestled deep in one of the largest tropical forests in Southeast Asia, not very far away from our Malaysian soil, lies the 'sacred' ground which once saw one of the most gallant armies who fought British colonialism and the Japanese during World War II , paving the way for Malaya's independence in 1957.

Although structures are no longer visible at the site, the ex-soldiers who are now residing in Chulaborn have done well in preserving one of the most historic landscapes of our times.

In order not to lose sight of their past, several locations have been marked with green signboards to identify former sleeping barracks, cooking area, clinic, training centre, even toilets and a mile-long tunnel used as a hide-out during bomb attacks.

Binza said the project when completed in three years will yield profit for the humble villagers who now spend much of their twilight years breeding fish and poultry and harvesting fruits grown on a 'collective farm' to sustain themselves economically.

Financial burden

"Part of the income from tourism will go to the Thai authorities and another portion will be utilised to look after the welfare of the villagers. This will ease much of their financial burden," said Binza, who is of Thai nationality.

He proudly added, "We take care of our senior citizens. We have a fund called BKK (Badan Kebajikan Kampung) or the Village Welfare Fund which offers a monthly allowance of 500 baht (US$12) to people over 60 years old".

Binza, 45, reports to the Sukhirin district officer who has an office not far from Chulaborn. It takes 90 minutes to reach the village via the Malaysian-Thai border in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan on a good tarred road.

The father of two was a member of the now defunct Communist Party of Malaya and a soldier of the Malayan People's Army in the late 1970s.

After the party ended its armed struggle in 1989, Binza chose to live with his 300-odd comrades, most of them Malayan Malays, who have 'sealed their fate' by not returning to their homeland.

Their choice of residence partly is influenced by their loyalty towards the leadership or members of the party's central committee like Abu Samah Mohd Kassim, Abdullah CD and his wife Suriani Abdullah who had decided to stay put.

No sense of belonging

When asked, many said they were reluctant to step foot in Malaysia because they no longer feel "a sense of belonging" to their former motherland despite their perpetual longing to see their long-lost siblings and children.

Many expressed regret that Malaysia has not honoured its part of the much-acclaimed deal sealed at the 1989 tripartite meeting between Thailand, Malaysia and CPM in Haadyai.

The peace agreement, which put a lid on 40 years of guerilla warfare, promised to offer the brave soldiers Malaysian (or Thai) citizenships including the freedom to form a political party and participate in elections.

But 12 years have passed. The promises remained nothing but promises.

"We applied for passports but we were told that we could only travel by air. Then again, we were told that we could only visit for 14 days escorted by SBs (special branch officers)," said H Ibrahim, 41.

"As if we have the money. Do you know how much it cost to travel by air?" he grumbled.

Ibrahim, who joined the army when he was an impressionable kid of 16, however said that he is still trying to gain entry into Malaysia.

"But only to visit, not stay. I have been away too long. It is impossible for me to catch up with the present development (in Malaysia). Moreover, I have a Thai wife." he told malaysiakini when met last weekend.

The former soldier, who often escorts tourists to the camp site, said he was duly disappointed with Malaysia for its undemoratic stance after the peace talks. That influenced his decision not to return to Malaysia..

Breach of agreement

"The first batch of us who returned (about 400 people) were questioned and interrogated by the police and special branch officers. This is a serious breach of our peace agreement," he said.

Others, like Ibrahim, complained of not receiving news of their applications from the Malaysian authorities, the lack of sympathy for their difficult financial situation, the unreasonable demands and tight security imposed on their intended visits despite their past contributions to Merdeka .

But then again, perhaps things worked out better for those who could not return to Malaysia.

The kampung is a pleasant enclave amidst lush green hills. The Thai government has been kind enough to build roads, a mosque, a public hall, a health clinic supplying free medication, a primary school for the 100-odd kids who are all under 12 and three helicopter landings for the village folk.

There are other such kampung situated in Betong, Banlang and Yala about 90km from the Malaysian-Thai border from the Perlis side. But according to the villagers, Chulaborn houses the most number of occupants about 400 men, women and children.

And to remember their struggle and years of painful but eventful life in the jungle, there is a museum in the vicinity safeguarding the army's memorabilia like M16s, typewriters, books, surgical equipment, uniforms as well as medals and trophies presented to the regiment during their glorious years.

20ft monument

There is even a 20ft monument in the midst of the camp site to commemorate 50 years of the communist struggle.

Former CPM central committee member and military leader Abu Samah said the financial aid given by the Thai government since Princess Chulaborn adopted the village in 1993 have helped the unsung heroes "stabilise" their lives.

"A number of people who left the village came back. They had contributed to the development of the area by tending to the collective farm," he said.

"Ban Chulaborn Patana is now well known. Many people ranging from Thai officials to Malaysian tourists continue to visit our homes. The princess herself has visited us several times," he added.

Abu Samah, 76, lives with his wife Siti Norkiah Mahmud Baginda, 75, also a former CPM soldier who hails from Temerloh. Their double-storey kampung house, situated next to Abdullah and Suriani's home, is equipped with a 10ft tall television aerial and a complete audio-visual set.

It is thus not surprising that veteran communist leaders who have benefitted from the projects in the village are eternally grateful to the Thai government, as reflected in the words of Abu Samah who said: "To Her Royal Highness and her people, we want to say thank you."