Paul Lewis Sterilizes the Akha - Appendix

Paul Lewis Sterilizes the Akha - Appendix

Paul Lewis Sterilizes the Akha Appendix
Missionary Genocide Against the Akha

The below appendix is interesting, considering that the Thai military was calling for sterilizations to control the hilltribe and by the sound of the letter. Someone was worried. Someone was seeing Paul Lewis's activities as genocide. We heard reports of sterilizations by mobile clinics in tents, where women later got infections and died as told to us by retired Akha pastors who witnessed it. According to them, many Akha women became weak, or infected and died.

P.217

APPENDIX

TELEGRAM CONCERNING PROGRAM

P.218

The following is a facts and issues statement regarding government contraceptive sterilization services which was sent by telegram by Dr. Somboon Vachrotai, Director-General of Health, Ministry of Public Health, to the Secretary of State, Washington D.C., 13 April 1977.

THE NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH

13 APRIL 1977

THE THAI GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDING VOLUNTARY STERILIZATION SERVICES FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN BEFORE ORGANIZED FAMILY PLANNING WAS INSTITUTED IN THAILAND IN 1968. AS SEVERAL WORLD BANK DOCUMENTS HAVE STATED, FAMILY PLANNING IN THAILAND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVEL OF POPULAR DEMAND. SUPPLY OF SERVICES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CONSTRAINT IN THE THAI PROGRAM. THUS, THAILAND HAS NEVER HAD TO RESORT TO INCENTIVE SCHEMES TO STIMULATE DESIRE FOR CONTRACEPTION; INSTEAD, FAMILY PLANNING STRATEGIES HAVE ALWAYS SOUGHT WAYS OF EXTENDING SERVICES TO ENABLE THE BROADEST COVERAGE POSSIBLE.

PROVIDING CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES TO THE COUNRTY'S RURAL, REMOTE AND GENERALLY UNDERPRIVELEGED COMMUNITIES HAS RECEIVED SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN THE THAI PROGRAM. IN 1970 AUXILIARY MIDWIVES WERE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND, IMMEDIATELY, THIS SERVICE BECAME AVAILABLE IN THE RURAL UPCOUNTRY AREAS. IN THE SAME SPIRIT, THE NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM (NFPP) HAS DEPLOYED MOBILE STERILIZATION TEAMS TO EXTEND THIS SERVICE TO THOSE REQUESTING INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITIES WITHOUT EASY ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT DISTRICT HOSPITALS OR PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS.

p.219

ANOTHER NOTEWORTHY FEATURE OF THE THAI NFPP IS ITS CLOSE COOPERATION WITH AND SUPPORT OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS. A VERY IMPORTANT AND RESPECTED GROUP OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE THE MISSIONARY AND CHURCH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS, OF WHICH MANY ARE LOCATED IN THAILAND'S NORTHERN REGION. THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES AND RESPECTS THE FACTS THAT SOME OF THE MISSIONARY GROUPS HAVE CONTACTS AND SPECIAL SERVICE LINKS WITH REMOTE, RURAL COMMUNITIES OF THE NORTH THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT MATCH WITH ITS CURRENT SERVICE DELIVERY NETWORK. NOR DOES THE GOVERNMENT FEEL ANY COMPETITION WITH THIS GROUP, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF FAMILY PLANNING. INDEED, THE NFPP ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES AND SUPPORTS THE MISSIONARIES, AND FREQUENT EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, DATA AND EXPERIENCE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE TWO WHICH THE NFPP FINDS VERY VALUABLE. THE NFPP HOPES THE MISSIONARIES WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THEIR HIGH-QUALITY FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES, INCLUDING STERILIZATION, ESPECIALLY TO THE HILL TRIBE COMMUNITIES WHOSE WOMEN ARE IN SELF-PROCLAIMED NEED OF FAMILY SIZE LIMITATION.

P.220

THE BURDEN OF A LARGE FAMILY FALLS ESPECIALLY HARD ON THE HILL TRIBE COMMUNITY. HILL TRIBE CULTURAL NORMS DIFFER FROM THOSE OF OTHER THAI COMMUNITIES IN THAT THE WIFE MUST BEAR THE LARGEST PART OF THE WORKLOAD IN FAMILY AGRICULTURE IN ADDITION TO HER ROUTINE HOUSEKEEPING AND CHILD-REARING. FURTHERMORE, THE SEMI-NOMADIC EXISTENCE OF THESE HILL TRIBE PEOPLE MAKES LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN ESPECIALLY BURDENSOME. THE HILL TRIBE MOTHERS ARE ACTUALLY AWARE OF THEIR NEED FOR FAMILY SIZE LIMITATION AND THEIR INACCESSIBILITY TO ANY REGULAR FORM OF TEMPORARY CONTRACEPTION MAKES STERILIZATION AN ESPECIALLY ATTRACTIVE SERVICE.

THE QUESTION HAS BEEN RAISED RECENTLY WHERE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO MAKE RURAL STERILIZATION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THAI MINORITIES WHICH MIGHT PROMOTE A LIMITED REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL TO SUSTAIN THEIR NUMBERS. USAID HAS BEEN MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN CAUTIOUSLY SUPPORTING THE STERILIZATION PROGRAM AMONG THE MINORITIES. IN ADDITION, USAID HAS SUPPORTED THE CONTINUATION OF THE NATION-WIDE NFPP STERILIZATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM FIRST BEGUN WITH UNFPA ASSISTANCE IN 1974.

SINCE OCTOBER 1976, THAI GOVERNMENT FUNDS AS WELL AS USAID FUNDS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO MOST TYPES OF GOVENMENT HEALTH FACILITIES TO HELP TO REDUCE THE COST OF STERILIZATION AND IUD INSERTION TO THAI MEN AND WOMEN.

THE NFPP HAS WELCOMED THE US SUPPORT IN FURTHER IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY OF THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT IN EXTENDING AS WIDE AN ARRAY OF CONTRACEPTIVES SERVICES [sic] AS POSSIBLE TO A BROAD SECTION OF THE RECIPIENT POPULATION IN THE NEEDIEST COMMUNITIES. THESE ARE NOT INCENTIVE OR COERCIVE EFFORTS [sic]; RATHER THEY ARE EFFORTS TO BRING SERVICES WITHIN REACH OF OUR PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR MINORITIES.

P.221

THE THAI GOVENMENT IS PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO THE PROBLEMS OF OUR MINORITY GROUPS. WE EXPRESSLY DO NOT SUPPORT ANY ACTIVITIES WHICH WOULD IN ANY WAY THREATEN THEIR EXISTENCE. THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH REALIZES THAT HEALTH AND OTHER SERVICES ARE QUITE LIMITED TO MANY OF THESE MINORITY GROUPS WHO LIVE IN REMOTE AREAS AND WE WELCOME THE SUPPORT AND EFFORTS OF THE MISSIONARY GROUPS.

WE FIND THE ACCUSATION, AMPLIFIED IN THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGIONAL PRESS, THAT THE THAI GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWING A POLICY OF RACIAL GENOCIDE TO BE ABHORRENT, OFFENSIVE AND TOTALLY INCORRECT.

WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE FACTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED WITH APPROPRIATE THAI OFFICIALS BEFORE THEIR RELEASE TO THE PRESS.

THESE CHARGES ARE SIMPLY INACCURATE AND UNJUSTIFIED.

P.222

WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN THE RIGHTS OF ALL THAI COUPLES TO BE ABLE TO PLAN THE SIZE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND HAVE, SINCE 1968, MADE ALL EFFORTS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE VOLUNTARY CONTRACEPTIVE AND STERILIZATION SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR PEOPLE. THAIS HAVE DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE INTEREST IN THESE SERVICES WHEN OFFERED AND MADE EASILY ACCESSIBLE, LEADING TO VERY HIGH ACCEPTANCE AND CONTINUATION RATES. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AMONG WOMEN ACCEPTING FEMALE STERILIZATION, THAI WOMEN HAVE, ON THE AVERAGE, SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER CHILDREN THAN DO WOMEN FROM MINORITY GROUPS WHO CHOOSE FEMALE STERILIZATION (OVER 50 PERCENT OF THAI WOMEN HAVE THREE OR LESS CHILDREN AT THE TIME OF STERILIZATION VERSUS LESS THAN 30 PERCENT OF OUR NORTHERN TRIBAL MINORITY WOMEN). THESE MINORITY WOMEN DEMONSTRATE THEIR STRONG MOTIVATION BY WAITING ON WAITING LISTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND BY THE LONG AND HARD JOURNEY, USUALLY BY FOOT, NECESSARY TO REACH THE LOCATION WHERE SERVICES CAN BE PROVIDED.

DR. SOMBOON VACHROTAI

DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH

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	Document You may copy and save this document for later reading. Please remember to do a site search for other related documents which may not be shown here. Paul Lewis Sterilizes the Akha - Appendix Paul Lewis Sterilizes the Akha Appendix Missionary Genocide Against the Akha The below appendix is interesting, considering that the Thai military was calling for sterilizations to control the hilltribe and by the sound of the letter. Someone was worried. Someone was seeing Paul Lewis's activities as genocide. We heard reports of sterilizations by mobile clinics in tents, where women later got infections and died as told to us by retired Akha pastors who witnessed it. According to them, many Akha women became weak, or infected and died. P.217 APPENDIX TELEGRAM CONCERNING PROGRAM P.218 The following is a facts and issues statement regarding government contraceptive sterilization services which was sent by telegram by Dr. Somboon Vachrotai, Director-General of Health, Ministry of Public Health, to the Secretary of State, Washington D.C., 13 April 1977. THE NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH 13 APRIL 1977 THE THAI GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDING VOLUNTARY STERILIZATION SERVICES FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN BEFORE ORGANIZED FAMILY PLANNING WAS INSTITUTED IN THAILAND IN 1968. AS SEVERAL WORLD BANK DOCUMENTS HAVE STATED, FAMILY PLANNING IN THAILAND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVEL OF POPULAR DEMAND. SUPPLY OF SERVICES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CONSTRAINT IN THE THAI PROGRAM. THUS, THAILAND HAS NEVER HAD TO RESORT TO INCENTIVE SCHEMES TO STIMULATE DESIRE FOR CONTRACEPTION; INSTEAD, FAMILY PLANNING STRATEGIES HAVE ALWAYS SOUGHT WAYS OF EXTENDING SERVICES TO ENABLE THE BROADEST COVERAGE POSSIBLE. PROVIDING CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES TO THE COUNRTY'S RURAL, REMOTE AND GENERALLY UNDERPRIVELEGED COMMUNITIES HAS RECEIVED SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN THE THAI PROGRAM. IN 1970 AUXILIARY MIDWIVES WERE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND, IMMEDIATELY, THIS SERVICE BECAME AVAILABLE IN THE RURAL UPCOUNTRY AREAS. IN THE SAME SPIRIT, THE NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM (NFPP) HAS DEPLOYED MOBILE STERILIZATION TEAMS TO EXTEND THIS SERVICE TO THOSE REQUESTING INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITIES WITHOUT EASY ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT DISTRICT HOSPITALS OR PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS. p.219 ANOTHER NOTEWORTHY FEATURE OF THE THAI NFPP IS ITS CLOSE COOPERATION WITH AND SUPPORT OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS. A VERY IMPORTANT AND RESPECTED GROUP OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE THE MISSIONARY AND CHURCH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS, OF WHICH MANY ARE LOCATED IN THAILAND'S NORTHERN REGION. THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES AND RESPECTS THE FACTS THAT SOME OF THE MISSIONARY GROUPS HAVE CONTACTS AND SPECIAL SERVICE LINKS WITH REMOTE, RURAL COMMUNITIES OF THE NORTH THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT MATCH WITH ITS CURRENT SERVICE DELIVERY NETWORK. NOR DOES THE GOVERNMENT FEEL ANY COMPETITION WITH THIS GROUP, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF FAMILY PLANNING. INDEED, THE NFPP ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES AND SUPPORTS THE MISSIONARIES, AND FREQUENT EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, DATA AND EXPERIENCE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE TWO WHICH THE NFPP FINDS VERY VALUABLE. THE NFPP HOPES THE MISSIONARIES WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THEIR HIGH-QUALITY FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES, INCLUDING STERILIZATION, ESPECIALLY TO THE HILL TRIBE COMMUNITIES WHOSE WOMEN ARE IN SELF-PROCLAIMED NEED OF FAMILY SIZE LIMITATION. P.220 THE BURDEN OF A LARGE FAMILY FALLS ESPECIALLY HARD ON THE HILL TRIBE COMMUNITY. HILL TRIBE CULTURAL NORMS DIFFER FROM THOSE OF OTHER THAI COMMUNITIES IN THAT THE WIFE MUST BEAR THE LARGEST PART OF THE WORKLOAD IN FAMILY AGRICULTURE IN ADDITION TO HER ROUTINE HOUSEKEEPING AND CHILD-REARING. FURTHERMORE, THE SEMI-NOMADIC EXISTENCE OF THESE HILL TRIBE PEOPLE MAKES LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN ESPECIALLY BURDENSOME. THE HILL TRIBE MOTHERS ARE ACTUALLY AWARE OF THEIR NEED FOR FAMILY SIZE LIMITATION AND THEIR INACCESSIBILITY TO ANY REGULAR FORM OF TEMPORARY CONTRACEPTION MAKES STERILIZATION AN ESPECIALLY ATTRACTIVE SERVICE. THE QUESTION HAS BEEN RAISED RECENTLY WHERE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO MAKE RURAL STERILIZATION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THAI MINORITIES WHICH MIGHT PROMOTE A LIMITED REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL TO SUSTAIN THEIR NUMBERS. USAID HAS BEEN MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN CAUTIOUSLY SUPPORTING THE STERILIZATION PROGRAM AMONG THE MINORITIES. IN ADDITION, USAID HAS SUPPORTED THE CONTINUATION OF THE NATION-WIDE NFPP STERILIZATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM FIRST BEGUN WITH UNFPA ASSISTANCE IN 1974. SINCE OCTOBER 1976, THAI GOVERNMENT FUNDS AS WELL AS USAID FUNDS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO MOST TYPES OF GOVENMENT HEALTH FACILITIES TO HELP TO REDUCE THE COST OF STERILIZATION AND IUD INSERTION TO THAI MEN AND WOMEN. THE NFPP HAS WELCOMED THE US SUPPORT IN FURTHER IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY OF THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT IN EXTENDING AS WIDE AN ARRAY OF CONTRACEPTIVES SERVICES [sic] AS POSSIBLE TO A BROAD SECTION OF THE RECIPIENT POPULATION IN THE NEEDIEST COMMUNITIES. THESE ARE NOT INCENTIVE OR COERCIVE EFFORTS [sic]; RATHER THEY ARE EFFORTS TO BRING SERVICES WITHIN REACH OF OUR PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR MINORITIES. P.221 THE THAI GOVENMENT IS PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO THE PROBLEMS OF OUR MINORITY GROUPS. WE EXPRESSLY DO NOT SUPPORT ANY ACTIVITIES WHICH WOULD IN ANY WAY THREATEN THEIR EXISTENCE. THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH REALIZES THAT HEALTH AND OTHER SERVICES ARE QUITE LIMITED TO MANY OF THESE MINORITY GROUPS WHO LIVE IN REMOTE AREAS AND WE WELCOME THE SUPPORT AND EFFORTS OF THE MISSIONARY GROUPS. WE FIND THE ACCUSATION, AMPLIFIED IN THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGIONAL PRESS, THAT THE THAI GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWING A POLICY OF RACIAL GENOCIDE TO BE ABHORRENT, OFFENSIVE AND TOTALLY INCORRECT. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE FACTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED WITH APPROPRIATE THAI OFFICIALS BEFORE THEIR RELEASE TO THE PRESS. THESE CHARGES ARE SIMPLY INACCURATE AND UNJUSTIFIED. P.222 WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN THE RIGHTS OF ALL THAI COUPLES TO BE ABLE TO PLAN THE SIZE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND HAVE, SINCE 1968, MADE ALL EFFORTS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE VOLUNTARY CONTRACEPTIVE AND STERILIZATION SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR PEOPLE. THAIS HAVE DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE INTEREST IN THESE SERVICES WHEN OFFERED AND MADE EASILY ACCESSIBLE, LEADING TO VERY HIGH ACCEPTANCE AND CONTINUATION RATES. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AMONG WOMEN ACCEPTING FEMALE STERILIZATION, THAI WOMEN HAVE, ON THE AVERAGE, SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER CHILDREN THAN DO WOMEN FROM MINORITY GROUPS WHO CHOOSE FEMALE STERILIZATION (OVER 50 PERCENT OF THAI WOMEN HAVE THREE OR LESS CHILDREN AT THE TIME OF STERILIZATION VERSUS LESS THAN 30 PERCENT OF OUR NORTHERN TRIBAL MINORITY WOMEN). THESE MINORITY WOMEN DEMONSTRATE THEIR STRONG MOTIVATION BY WAITING ON WAITING LISTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND BY THE LONG AND HARD JOURNEY, USUALLY BY FOOT, NECESSARY TO REACH THE LOCATION WHERE SERVICES CAN BE PROVIDED. DR. SOMBOON VACHROTAI DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH Copyright 1991 The Akha Heritage Foundation