The Black Night
On the night of May 15th 2014, the villagers of Na Nong Bong, in Northeast Thailand were ambushed by an anonymous group of 300 armed men. Villagers were bound, beaten, and had the lives of their families threatened. This attack was the breaking point for villagers, who for eight years have struggled with their fight against a local gold mine owned by Tongkum Limited (TKL). In the months leading to the attack, villagers, who are a part of the 'Khon Rak Ban Koed’ (KRBK) community group, set up checkpoints on each of the three roads that lead to the mine. This was in response to TKL allegedly attempting to remove ore from the mine after its license had expired. Tensions had been high after villagers rejected many lucrative offers of stocks in the company, cars, and money.
Since September of 2013, villagers have been more actively protesting the mine. One of their main tactics is building a series of checkpoints on the roads leading to the mine. They use these checkpoints to ensure TKL company trucks do not have access to the mine, as their license has expired. At each checkpoint the villagers have constructed a road block wall, which helps them deter vehicles from driving through. Villagers have been on rotation every night at each checkpoint watching for employees of the mine trying to sneak in. In response, TKL has filed lawsuits and civil suits upon villagers for trespassing and loss of property, amounting to $1.5- $2.2 million in compensation from each villager. The lawsuits are ongoing and have yet to be resolved.
On the night of May 15th around 10:00pm, villagers heard the the sound of people walking down the road. Men donning balaclavas and wearing all black approached the first checkpoint, breaking bottles and shooting guns in the air. Using clubs and large wooden planks, they corralled the villagers, bound their hands behind their backs, and shoved them to the ground. Word spread fast; leaders from the village came and tried to nonviolently resist the opposition through negotiations and peaceful blockade but were no match to the opposing militia.
Villagers watched helplessly as their loved ones were taken hostage. They were threatened not to come close or the hostages would be taken away. Within minutes, the checkpoints were overtaken. Bulldozers razed the roadblocks and dump trucks made their way up and down the mountain. Villagers assume that these trucks were transporting copper, a byproduct of gold mining. Allegedly, representatives from the mine had tried to access the ore for months after the mining license had expired. With what seemed to be a good knowledge of who community leaders were, the attackers easily knew who to target. Taking them into the forest they questioned them about their resistance. One leader was asked if they were working with Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), and why Na Nong Bong was resisting the operation of the mine. Another leader was told that if he loved his family, he should not continue the fight against the mine. They kicked him in the face and told him they would be back.
By 4:00 AM all of the trucks had left the village filled with what is believed to be copper ore from the mine, and the masked men began to untie the hostages. The police had been called long ago but had yet to take any action against the attackers. The wounded were taken to the hospital and families were rejoined. Their spirits had been broken but they had survived.
The following profiles tell stories of villagers who were there that night.
On the night of May 15th 2014, the villagers of Na Nong Bong, in Northeast Thailand were ambushed by an anonymous group of 300 armed men. Villagers were bound, beaten, and had the lives of their families threatened. This attack was the breaking point for villagers, who for eight years have struggled with their fight against a local gold mine owned by Tongkum Limited (TKL). In the months leading to the attack, villagers, who are a part of the 'Khon Rak Ban Koed’ (KRBK) community group, set up checkpoints on each of the three roads that lead to the mine. This was in response to TKL allegedly attempting to remove ore from the mine after its license had expired. Tensions had been high after villagers rejected many lucrative offers of stocks in the company, cars, and money.
Since September of 2013, villagers have been more actively protesting the mine. One of their main tactics is building a series of checkpoints on the roads leading to the mine. They use these checkpoints to ensure TKL company trucks do not have access to the mine, as their license has expired. At each checkpoint the villagers have constructed a road block wall, which helps them deter vehicles from driving through. Villagers have been on rotation every night at each checkpoint watching for employees of the mine trying to sneak in. In response, TKL has filed lawsuits and civil suits upon villagers for trespassing and loss of property, amounting to $1.5- $2.2 million in compensation from each villager. The lawsuits are ongoing and have yet to be resolved.
On the night of May 15th around 10:00pm, villagers heard the the sound of people walking down the road. Men donning balaclavas and wearing all black approached the first checkpoint, breaking bottles and shooting guns in the air. Using clubs and large wooden planks, they corralled the villagers, bound their hands behind their backs, and shoved them to the ground. Word spread fast; leaders from the village came and tried to nonviolently resist the opposition through negotiations and peaceful blockade but were no match to the opposing militia.
Villagers watched helplessly as their loved ones were taken hostage. They were threatened not to come close or the hostages would be taken away. Within minutes, the checkpoints were overtaken. Bulldozers razed the roadblocks and dump trucks made their way up and down the mountain. Villagers assume that these trucks were transporting copper, a byproduct of gold mining. Allegedly, representatives from the mine had tried to access the ore for months after the mining license had expired. With what seemed to be a good knowledge of who community leaders were, the attackers easily knew who to target. Taking them into the forest they questioned them about their resistance. One leader was asked if they were working with Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), and why Na Nong Bong was resisting the operation of the mine. Another leader was told that if he loved his family, he should not continue the fight against the mine. They kicked him in the face and told him they would be back.
By 4:00 AM all of the trucks had left the village filled with what is believed to be copper ore from the mine, and the masked men began to untie the hostages. The police had been called long ago but had yet to take any action against the attackers. The wounded were taken to the hospital and families were rejoined. Their spirits had been broken but they had survived.
The following profiles tell stories of villagers who were there that night.
Lamduan Tongwaan
On May 15th, at 10:00pm, Mr. Lamduan was resting near his farmland, when the mob of "blackshirts" showed up in the community. A villager who was positioned at checkpoint #2 called Lamduan and informed him that the mob was attempting to destroy the protest wall the villagers had created to obstruct trucks being used to transport ore from the mine.
After getting an update from villagers located at checkpoint #1, Lamduan understood the severity of the attack on his community. "The villagers at checkpoint #1 informed me that the site was very chaotic. Members of the mob were shooting gunfire into the air and were throwing firecrackers to scare the villagers. The villagers who were trying to protect the area were getting hit with wood and other objects. Anytime the villagers tried to protect the wall at the checkpoint, the mob would hold them hostage."
When Lamduan realized the mob was there to threaten and abuse community members he knew he had to step in and help. "I rushed to the checkpoint as fast as I could but I was unable to help. Fearing that I would get arrested, the other villagers blocked me from trying to free the hostages."
As a village leader and member of the Na Nong Bong anti-mining group, Khon Rak Ban Koed (KRBK), Lamduan believes it is his responsibility to help protect his community. "Unable to help at the checkpoint, I began calling people. I called the headman of the village and informed him of the violence.” Speaking to the strength of the group, Lamduan showed rational constraint as he developed a non-violent plan to support and persevere beyond the brutal actions of the mob.
The police were called to the community to help, but did not provide any support. According to accounts by villagers, they instead left after witnessing the attack. Feeling that he had no other choice, Lamduan began to act as a negotiator. "I tried to stop the villagers from blocking the mob because I didn't want people to get hurt.”
Due to the lack of police aid, and the attackers’ brutal hostility, Lamduan and other villagers feel that they were unjustly treated. Villagers have long believed that the level of corruption within the justice system has hindered their rights from being protected. Feeling unsure about his future, Lamduan believes that his safety is being jeopardized for the profit of the mine.
On May 15th, at 10:00pm, Mr. Lamduan was resting near his farmland, when the mob of "blackshirts" showed up in the community. A villager who was positioned at checkpoint #2 called Lamduan and informed him that the mob was attempting to destroy the protest wall the villagers had created to obstruct trucks being used to transport ore from the mine.
After getting an update from villagers located at checkpoint #1, Lamduan understood the severity of the attack on his community. "The villagers at checkpoint #1 informed me that the site was very chaotic. Members of the mob were shooting gunfire into the air and were throwing firecrackers to scare the villagers. The villagers who were trying to protect the area were getting hit with wood and other objects. Anytime the villagers tried to protect the wall at the checkpoint, the mob would hold them hostage."
When Lamduan realized the mob was there to threaten and abuse community members he knew he had to step in and help. "I rushed to the checkpoint as fast as I could but I was unable to help. Fearing that I would get arrested, the other villagers blocked me from trying to free the hostages."
As a village leader and member of the Na Nong Bong anti-mining group, Khon Rak Ban Koed (KRBK), Lamduan believes it is his responsibility to help protect his community. "Unable to help at the checkpoint, I began calling people. I called the headman of the village and informed him of the violence.” Speaking to the strength of the group, Lamduan showed rational constraint as he developed a non-violent plan to support and persevere beyond the brutal actions of the mob.
The police were called to the community to help, but did not provide any support. According to accounts by villagers, they instead left after witnessing the attack. Feeling that he had no other choice, Lamduan began to act as a negotiator. "I tried to stop the villagers from blocking the mob because I didn't want people to get hurt.”
Due to the lack of police aid, and the attackers’ brutal hostility, Lamduan and other villagers feel that they were unjustly treated. Villagers have long believed that the level of corruption within the justice system has hindered their rights from being protected. Feeling unsure about his future, Lamduan believes that his safety is being jeopardized for the profit of the mine.
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Mon Koonna
Terror struck Mrs. Mon when she received a distraught call from her daughter about the attack on May 15th. Mon was in Bangkok at the time and, as the night went on, was unable to contact her family and friends in Na Nong Bong. Mon and many villagers feel that the lack of phone service was an intentional tactic used by the attackers. "They treated the villagers like they weren't human." Feeling the urge to act Mon contacted Thai PBS to enlighten them about what was going on, in hopes they would make the attack known to the public. Mon continues to be upset by the violence that took place in her village on May 15th. One of the hardest things for her to accept is that Thai people are capable of such brutal actions. “They are not human, they are just thieves who come and steal things from our motherland”. She feels the treatment the villagers’ received both during and after the attack was unjust, as it took police almost 36 hours to take a report. According to villagers, officials continue to lay blame on them for the attack, claiming that their protests were the root of the problem. Some villagers also believe that military personnel present in Na Nong Bong are there to hinder organizing tactics, and not to ensure safety. As a leader of her community and a member of the network, ‘Khon Rak Ban Koed’ (KRBK), she feels a strong need to protect community members and their lifestyles, as well as their environment. Following the attack, Mon is unsure of her community’s next steps, and feels that she can’t take action without interference from the military present in Na Nong Bong, or punishment from officials. |
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I want to go to America to understand the suffering of mining communities in America and to see if they’re the same or different to ours." |
Ranong Kongsaen
On the evening now known as the “Black Night,” Mrs. Ranong was spending time at her family’s rice fields, a common practice during harvest season. Interrupted by a frantic child, Ranong learned that her village, Na Nong Bong, was under attack by thugs attempting to break down the checkpoints.
Ranong felt she needed to go and stand by her community. She was headed to the first checkpoint when her daughter begged “Don’t go, they will kill you.” But as a leader, Ranong knew she needed to stand strong against this attack.
Ranong arrived at checkpoint #1 and found that Suraphan Roojichaiyawat, the village’s head leader, had been taken hostage by the attackers. Ranong heard them viciously assaulting Suraphan, both physically and mentally, in the nearby forest. She dropped to her knees and prayed, “Please don’t let Suraphan die because our group needs a leader…” tears running down her face. Once seen as a place of comfort, Ranong now views her homeland as corrupted by violence against her family and friends.
At 4:00 AM, the attack came to a close. With sadness, Ranong asked, “Why is it so difficult to protect the mountain? To protect the environment? And to protect our homeland?” In an effort to protect these resources, villagers in Na Nong Bong have explored different forms of opposition, including the construction of checkpoints and barricades along several roads in their community, and organized sit-in’s.
After the tireless fight that Na Nong Bong has put up against the mining company for the last eight years, Ranong ponders, “Should we [our community] just give up?” She is worn-out both physically and mentally from the constant resistance and recent violence that their 8-year fight has brought them.
On the evening now known as the “Black Night,” Mrs. Ranong was spending time at her family’s rice fields, a common practice during harvest season. Interrupted by a frantic child, Ranong learned that her village, Na Nong Bong, was under attack by thugs attempting to break down the checkpoints.
Ranong felt she needed to go and stand by her community. She was headed to the first checkpoint when her daughter begged “Don’t go, they will kill you.” But as a leader, Ranong knew she needed to stand strong against this attack.
Ranong arrived at checkpoint #1 and found that Suraphan Roojichaiyawat, the village’s head leader, had been taken hostage by the attackers. Ranong heard them viciously assaulting Suraphan, both physically and mentally, in the nearby forest. She dropped to her knees and prayed, “Please don’t let Suraphan die because our group needs a leader…” tears running down her face. Once seen as a place of comfort, Ranong now views her homeland as corrupted by violence against her family and friends.
At 4:00 AM, the attack came to a close. With sadness, Ranong asked, “Why is it so difficult to protect the mountain? To protect the environment? And to protect our homeland?” In an effort to protect these resources, villagers in Na Nong Bong have explored different forms of opposition, including the construction of checkpoints and barricades along several roads in their community, and organized sit-in’s.
After the tireless fight that Na Nong Bong has put up against the mining company for the last eight years, Ranong ponders, “Should we [our community] just give up?” She is worn-out both physically and mentally from the constant resistance and recent violence that their 8-year fight has brought them.
Soom Seethong
“All of the villagers were getting ready to go to sleep when our village headman woke everyone up saying people were coming to destroy our checkpoints.” Mrs. Soom, a villager in Na Nong Bong, was not initially frightened by this announcement; as this wasn’t the first time her community’s checkpoints had been threatened. She became worried, however, when she saw a truck and masked men approaching at full speed.
As the attackers descended, Soom stayed strong and tried to take pictures and videos, in hopes of being able to use it as proof of the violence taking place. When the attackers realized what she was doing, they grabbed Soom’s daughter and dragged her away. This was when she realized the magnitude of the attack on the village.
When her daughter was returned to the group covered in bruises, she knew that she had to fight back, “To live or to die is the same thing, so I had to stand and fight these people.” Soom, and many other community members, fought back by attempting to form a blockade at their checkpoint, but were unsuccessful.
When the night was finally over Soom felt broken from the fight, believing that “there is no law to protect me anymore.” The night still haunts Soom, as she suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms related to the brutality she endured that night. However, this condition has not deterred her from continuing to be a community leader and activist. She knows that her community must do whatever they can to fight the TKL mining corporation, as it is a fight to save their homeland and environment.
“All of the villagers were getting ready to go to sleep when our village headman woke everyone up saying people were coming to destroy our checkpoints.” Mrs. Soom, a villager in Na Nong Bong, was not initially frightened by this announcement; as this wasn’t the first time her community’s checkpoints had been threatened. She became worried, however, when she saw a truck and masked men approaching at full speed.
As the attackers descended, Soom stayed strong and tried to take pictures and videos, in hopes of being able to use it as proof of the violence taking place. When the attackers realized what she was doing, they grabbed Soom’s daughter and dragged her away. This was when she realized the magnitude of the attack on the village.
When her daughter was returned to the group covered in bruises, she knew that she had to fight back, “To live or to die is the same thing, so I had to stand and fight these people.” Soom, and many other community members, fought back by attempting to form a blockade at their checkpoint, but were unsuccessful.
When the night was finally over Soom felt broken from the fight, believing that “there is no law to protect me anymore.” The night still haunts Soom, as she suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms related to the brutality she endured that night. However, this condition has not deterred her from continuing to be a community leader and activist. She knows that her community must do whatever they can to fight the TKL mining corporation, as it is a fight to save their homeland and environment.