A forest lockdown will fuel more firesAn aerial view of a fire ravaging a forest in Chiang Mai last month. It shows policymakers don't understand sustainable forest conservation, the forest dwellers' way of life, and their dedication in controlling the forest fires, he lamented. Under a lockdown policy to achieve zero-burn, forest officials can seal off forest areas and arrest forest dwellers at whim without respect for their traditional farming system and ancestral land rights. The government's approach to forest fires is the opposite of what the indigenous highlanders have been practising, Mr Prue said. Public fear of fires ends up supporting forest authorities' zero-burn policy which can gravely backfire leading to more disastrous forest fires and heavier toxic haze.

Source: Bangkok Post April 10, 2020 23:26 UTC