Statement of Solidarity with the Indigenous Karen of the Kaeng Krachan Forest, Thailand

A Supreme Court ruling has found that indigenous peoples who were forcibly evicted from their land in 2011 are to be given monetary compensation, rather than the return of their land.

A court ruling, on June 12, agreed that the forced eviction of the Karen people from Kaeng Krachan National Park was an abuse of power, but has reduced their rights to monetary compensation despite the acknowledged importance of indigenous peoples’ connection to their lands.

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), the Network for Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (NIPT), and Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) have released a joint statement of solidarity, urging the government to restore the rights and lands of its Karen citizens.