【絕食第80日】【80th Day of Hunger Strike: Update & Volunteers' Thoughts】
17 / 9 / 2020
▍「除了停止了探訪外,這裡任何東西都沒變過。廁所依然是那麼髒,他們(入境處)連一塊香皂都沒有多給我們。」- 羈留者O生氣的說
自9月6日CIC出現第二單新冠確診,CIC便停止了探訪,所有羈留者都已經十天因探訪暫停而無法獲得一些基本衛生護理物資。以下為義工H的心聲:
CIC對認可物資要求十分苛刻,書一定不要有任何標註,連一個「由XX中學圖書館捐贈」的印章也容不下,「呢本唔入得」;香皂只能是藍色的,但藥房通常是一排六塊的賣,只有兩塊是藍色,總有四塊紫色、白色不知如何處理;以為只要寫著「祝君早安」的毛巾便可以,買到了,職員又說「標誌中一的不是「合」字,這不是正版」,退回,不收;買了兩包M&M想給羈留者,但被告知一次一定要給5包,而且一定要是同一顏色的包裝。第一次聽到時會又生氣又無奈,明明都是香皂、毛巾,這些要求除了用來留難訪客,有任何意思嗎?每次探訪,更是總會見到其他訪客有一些東西因不乎要求而被退回,山長水遠走到來CIC,卻沒法送物資到親人、朋友手上,會感到很可惜嗎?
怒氣與無奈,隨著探訪次數漸多而慢慢地被磨蝕。為了能順利地把物資送到羈留者手上,更是練成了一對金精火眼,去到不同藥房都認得出物資,知道格價合理與否。這一陣子,見到任何藥房都會逛一逛,見到適合的便買下。這幾天都接給幾位羈留者的電話,有的說急需牙膏、香皂(只能通過探訪才能獲得),有的說很悶想收新的書。我想說,我都準備了,只是不知何時才見到他們。
羈留者的來電中,讓我除了知道他們需要的物資外,更是體會到自由對他們的迫切。「7樓的40多人全被送到隔離營了,你有他們的消息嗎?」S問。「我需要幫助。我不想繼續留在CIC,這裡有新冠病毒確診。這裡不安全。」R說。我想這次CIC這次確診引致的Lockdown和全院檢測已充份反映到這個地方十分高危,為何還是要強行把一班無罪的人拘禁,置他們的健康生命於危險中?
「我們差不多所有羈留人士已經聯名向入境處寫了一封投訴書,抗議停止探訪並要求交代原因。」O說。「希望很快可以容許探訪。」
▍“I am very angry about this lockdown. They (ImmD) did nothing more to advance any prevention or protection measures. Just lockdown. We are running out of toothpaste, soap and hand wash.” — Detainee I
Due to the discovery of the 2nd confirmed case of COVID-19 on 6th September, CIC has suspended all visit. All detainees have since been unable to receiving basic hygienic products from their visiting friends. It has been 10 days. Below are some thoughts of our volunteer H:
CIC is exceptionally meticulous, or better put, bureaucratic about the hand-in articles from visitors to detainees. A book must be totally clean, even a stamp that says “Donated by XX School Library” would made the book ineligible for handing in; The soap must be in blue, yet stores often sell this brand of soap in a pack of six, so volunteers would always be left with 4 bars of non-blue soap; when you bought the towel with the exact wording, the staff will always let you know that your towel is “knock-off” and therefore unaccepted; M&M must come in 5 packs of the same colour. When the articles I bought first got rejected by CIC officers, I was very frustrated. In terms of their function, the towels and soap I bought were just fine. And every time I visited, I always saw other visitors’ “unapproved” articles got rejected. Imagining coming all the way with the hope of giving a little something to make your detainee friend’s life slightly better, and yet got rejected for the bureaucratic instructions of CIC, would you feel upset?
Nevertheless, my angry and frustration has been numbed as I visited CIC more frequently. In order to successfully got the articles to detainees, I have become an expert. I have memorised the entire list of approved hand-in articles and know the prices for each item. And over time, I have stocked up these articles for the detainees. In the past few days, our concern group have received several calls from detainees, saying that they are lacking certain hygienic project. “We are running out of toothpaste, soap and hand wash.” they said. I would love to let them know that I have stocked up, yet I now have no idea when I can give things to them due to the lockdown in CIC.
From these calls from detainees, not only had I learnt about the certain items they need, but also what freedom meant to them. “40 detainees from 7/F have been sent to the isolation camp, do you have any news about them?”, detainee S asked me. “Actually I need help. I don’t want to stay long time in CIC. There is positive case here. CIC is not safe.” Detainee R said. I think the current lockdown of CIC have demonstrated exactly how CIC is not safe. There is a high risk for cross-infection of COVID-19 in CIC. So, why is the authority so determined to detain this group of innocent people, and put their health and lives in danger?
“Most detainees have wrote a complaint letter together to the Immigration Department against the lockdown and ask for reasons.” Said O. “Hope this complaint letter could help reopen visit soon.”
i 'm not in danger i am the danger 在 The Little Balu Facebook 的精選貼文
這是讀者send給我的,希望能和大家分享7.21元朗恐襲的情況。
歡迎轉載,讓更多人看見香港發生了甚麼事。
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〈完美的一天 A Perfect Day〉
尋日(2019年7月21日)爭少少就係完美嘅一天。
It is almost a perfect day yesterday (21 July 2019).
我係一個普通嘅香港市民,八十後、基督徒、亦係天水圍人,尋日係星期日,我如常同太太出返九龍區嘅教會返崇拜,食完個晏就同太太同朋友去咗尖沙咀行街,之後喺海運戲院睇《反斗奇兵4》,然後食完飯就坐西鐵返屋企。
I am a normal Hong Kong citizen. Born in the 80's, a Christian who lives in Tin Shui Wai. Yesterday was a normal Sunday. I went back to church to join the worship with my wife in Kowloon, joined our friends for lunch in Tsim Sha Tsui, watched Toy Story 4 at the Grand Ocean cinema, and went back home after dinner by West Rail.
大約晚上十點幾喺柯士甸站上西鐵,上咗西鐵一切都好平常,直到接近十一點左右去到元朗站,月台上面傳來大叫「有人受傷、需要支援」嘅呼叫聲,而列車亦因為混亂無法開車,我就落咗去大堂睇一睇發生咩事,老婆留咗喺車廂入面。原來大堂果度一班喺閘入面嘅人已經開緊遮,佢哋俾一班閘外面身穿白色tee裇嘅人以木棍、水樽、棒球棍襲擊緊,出唔到閘。我最初觀察白衫人大約有四五十人左右,都係中年,亦有較年長嘅,識講廣東話粗口,兇神惡煞,非常激動。
At about 10pm, we were at the Austin Station, everything looked normal in the West Rail train. Our train arrived at Yuen Long Station just before 11pm, we heard a screaming, "Someone's hurt, we need backups!", and our train was stopped because of this confusion. I asked my wife to stay in the train, while I got off and went down to the station lobby to see what happened. Inside the gate, there were people holding their umbrellas up, defending from a group of gangsters who were all wearing white-shirts, attacking people inside the gate with wooden sticks, water bottles and baseball bats. People were trapped inside. There were around 40 to 50 white-shirt gangsters, mainly in their middle-aged, some were even older, shouted fiercely in Cantonese foul languages with agitation.
閘內地下留有鮮血血跡,我亦望到遠處閘外大堂有一名傷者受傷倒地,不斷俾白衫人凶緊,因為情況太危險我就無出閘幫手。我本身後退緊,打算上返車廂,就喺呢個時候閘內嘅市民突然全部退後,一湧而來,部份人衝入廁所,其他人就喺我身邊經過衝上扶手電梯梯同樓梯上月台,打算入車廂。
There were fresh blood stains on the floor inside the gate. Outside the gate not far away, there was someone injured, lying down on the floor, constantly threatening by a white-shirt gangster. I did not go out and help him due to the dangerous situation and I tended to go back up to the train. At that very moment, people inside the gate were suddenly moved back towards me. Some rushed into the washroom, others ran passed me and dashed to the platform through the escalators and staircase, and planned to reach the train for safety.
我見身邊有人跌倒,想幫又幫唔到手。然後白衫人已經殺到埋身,我正準備跑上扶手電梯上月台嘅時候就俾人從後襲擊咗後腦一下,我一邊跑一邊回望,睇到一個白衫人拎住枝棒球棍對住扶手電梯上面嘅人(包括我)大聲叫罵「 ___ 你老母」(第一個字聽得唔太清楚,請自行填充。)
Someone fell down next to me, I wished to help but I couldn't. The white-shirt gangsters were fast approaching, and I was about to rush back to the escalator. All of a sudden, I was attacked at my hindbrain, out of nowhere! I kept running and looked back at the attacker, it was a white-shirt gangster who was holding a baseball bat, yelling to the people (including me) on the escalator: YOU MOTHER _______ ! (I didn't hear it clearly, fill-in as you like)
我繼續上返月台,之後回頭望佢並無再追上嚟。我同其他乘客求奇衝入咗最尾一卡車廂,本身我都唔知自己流血,後來有其他乘客話我知我流緊血至知自己受咗傷。最後有啲熱心嘅乘客幫我消毒同包扎傷口(回想返先記得我咁大個仔都係第一次用M巾),同埋讓咗個位俾我坐。
I kept fleeing back to the platform, that white-shirt gangster had stopped chasing us. I went in the train with other passengers, and I did not even realized that I was bleeding until someone told me. Some very friendly passengers helped me to clean and wrap the wound (well, that was the first time I used sanitary pad), and nice enough to give me a seat.
過程之中我一邊用電話聯絡返老婆同佢報平安,佢話有人入咗車廂打人。而身邊嘅乘客都好不安,因為好擔心白衫嘅黑社會(我嗰刻至知原來係黑社會嚟嘅)會衝入嚟打人,好想快啲開車。同時亦開始有人話前面車廂(我係車尾)已經打緊,情況好混亂,好多人都好驚同鼓譟。唔知過咗幾耐(好似港鐵出咗聲明「詳細交代事件」,應該有寫詳細時間),我就坐返同一班列車去天水圍站,匯合返我老婆同遇到救護員,送咗去天水圍醫院,聯咗三針。我喺急症室等候期間,都不斷有被打受傷嘅人送入嚟急症室,估計有五至六個都係喺西鐵被襲的。
I was talking to my wife through the phone throughout the whole process. She told me that those gangsters were attacking people inside the train. Passengers around me were extremely worried, we were all afraid that those white-shirt Triad gangsters (now I knew they are Triad) will storme in and attack. We all hope that the train will move out from the station soon. At the same time, people were saying that there were attacks at the train head (I was at the tail), we were all in confusions and panics. After some minutes (looks like the MTR has made a statement regarding the detailed time), the train has finally moved, and I arrived Tin Shui Wai Station at last. I found my wife, we went straight to an Ambulanceman and admitted to the Tin Shui Wai Hospital afterwards, where I had my three stitches done. While I was waiting in the Emergency Room, 5 or 6 more injured people were sent in due to the West Rail attack.
急症室當值嘅警察都有主動問我係咪需要報案,我考慮咗一陣最後都同意咗,後來重案組亦係大約兩三個鐘後嚟同我落口供,佢問完個人資料之後,第一個問題就係問我有無出去遊行。我答無,佢好似有少少疑惑,我就拎返我張染咗血漬嘅《反斗奇兵4》嘅票尾比佢睇,佢先至再繼續同我落口供。最後我搞到清晨五點幾至返到屋企。
Policeman stationed in the Emergency Room has asked if I need to file a report. I had agreed after some consideration. The Crime Unit has also arrived after 2 to 3 hours to take my statement. After taking my personal information, he asked directly, "Did you join the protest march today?" I said, "No". He looked doubt. I took out the Toy Story 4 ticket stained with my blood and showed him, then he stopped questioning me. Eventually, I went home at about 5am.
其實本身尋日都係好平常嘅一日,同老婆行街、睇戲、食飯。之前我一直都有留意社會上發生嘅事,知道社會瀰漫住好多負面情緒。所以尋日我本身都打算俾自己抖一抖,放低時事一日。無奈就喺我休息、喺我最平常嘅生活當中,遇上咗無差別嘅襲擊,正所謂「我唔搞政治、政治一樣會嚟搞我」。我俾人扑濕,一定係我有做錯,而我最錯嘅係咩?我諗應該係因為我睇咗美帝嘅卡通電影。
It was a very normal day yesterday - shopping with my wife, watching movie, have a great dinner. I know what had happened lately in this city and how desperate people are these days. So I planned to have a relaxed day and free from the news. The ironic part is, on the day I was trying to rest and have a life, it was the day I encountered the indiscriminate attack. There is this saying, "you don't mess with politics, politics will mess with you eventually". I was attacked, so I must have done something wrong? What did I do wrong? Oh, I guess it must have been about me watching the American animation.
我知道我受嘅傷,同喺中上環俾警察無預警下開槍射傷嘅市民比,實在係微不足道(其實佢哋更應被關注!)。不過身邊聽到我經歷嘅朋友都好驚、好忿怒,其實我都係好忿怒、好無助,我地都無辦法明白到底點解坐西鐵返屋企會俾黑社會打,而點解警察又唔嚟阻止?但我更加感受到嘅係市民果種恐懼同絕望感,人群閃躲之際有人跌倒,有人落單,大家衝入車廂果陣會唔會發生人踩人?我老婆都陪伴咗個受驚而情緒失控嘅少女。大家都好驚、好恐懼、好絕望、好furious。人係受威脅之下,會出現figh-or-flight的反應,喺腎上腺素嘅驅使之下,一係會反擊,一係會逃走,但手無寸鐵嘅市民被圍困係車廂中被人撳住嚟打,既不能fight , 又不能flight,果種絕望同恐懼的確唔係三言兩語講得明白,往後嘅心理創傷同陰影烙印,可以係一生之久。
Comparing to those protesters shot by the Policemen without warning in Sheung Wan and Central, I was nothing (we should pay more attention to them instead!). But friends around me were shocked and outraged about my attack. To be frank, I was shocked too. Who would imagine that attack will come when I was just taking the West Rail train back home? And where were the Policemen when we need them? And most of all, I experienced the same fear and desperation with the passengers. People were dodging, falling down, left behind, there could be stampede when we rushed back to the train! My wife had also stayed and comforted a young girl who had almost lost control because of the frightening situation. Everyone was afraid, worried, hopeless and furious. When people are being threatened, there is a response called "fight-or-flight". The adrenaline will drive you to either fight back or take flight. Unfortunately, when we were unarmed and trapped inside the train, we cannot fight back, we cannot take flight, there is no word to describe the despair and fear in that scenario. The psychological trauma and shadow can be life-long.
的確,喺某啲人眼中,無論我係幾無辜被打,我走得慢所以我都依然係抵死,又或者一定係我經過元朗所以抵打。但我呢刻已經無力去鬧爆佢哋,咁做對我嚟講亦係無乜意思。我唔覺得襲擊我嘅人有幾大機會會被繩之於法,我亦都唔想停留喺去點樣出呢啖氣。難道戰爭中國家的政府會為一個被殺嘅平民作出調查麼?戰時社會有戰時嘅生存法則,我不得不面對現實:香港其實同戰爭社會已經無乜大分別,香港警隊同呢個政府係點做嘢,我已經無興趣知。
Some people may say, regardless of how innocent I am, that still, I was to blame. Maybe I ran too slow so I was meant to be attacked. Maybe I passed by Yuen Long so I should have known it better. I do not want to debate with their accusations, it is meaningless anyway. In my believe, there is no hope in taking the attacker down in my case, and I have no intention to take revenge. You see, when there is war in a country, the government will not take it serious when a citizen got killed. Wartime society has its own law of survival, and I have to deal with this reality: Hong Kong is in war now, and I have zero interest in what the HK Police Force and the government will take serious into.
但我都仍然想表達,香港人真係好有愛,喺亂世之時,大家都仍然能夠守望相助,我感受到被愛。車上嘅乘客不斷安慰我,不斷喺有限嘅物資之中幫我消毒止血做急救,救護員都幫咗我好多,我嘅朋友本身已經返咗喺市區嘅屋企都衝返入嚟睇我,亦有朋友係專登揸車入嚟,我嘅屋企人陪我喺急症室等通宵。所有朋友嘅安慰、慰問同祝福我都感受到。
There is one thing I must say. Hong Kong people are really full of passion. During this chaotic time, people are still willing to look after each other. I am blessed with their love: Passengers on the train have comforted me, treated my wound carefully when there is lack of first-aid materials; the professional treatment by the Ambulancemen; some friends have even rushed back after arriving their homes in downtown, one even drove his car all the way to the hospital; my family who have stayed with me in the Emergency Room throughout the whole night; all the comforts, loves and blessings from my friends…I am so blessed.
我唔係想講受襲嘅事唔重要,或者我要淡化、粉飾太平,我相信任何一個有良知嘅人都會對所有尋晚係西鐵上無辜受襲嘅市民感到心痛同忿怒。不過,我亦知道我哋呢種忿怒已經無處可容,因為呢個社會嘅制度已經崩壞,極權肆虐到一個點係唔可能再容許我哋有自己嘅思想同感受。塗鴉一個圖案可以係破壞政府管治基礎嘅底線,如此荒謬嘅話仲係出自一區首長之口,譴責圖案受破壞,比危殆嘅人命還緊要,我就明白到,無人性嘅極權眼中又點會睇到平民百姓人命價值嘅可貴?呢個邪惡嘅政治制度不過係想透過「收買人命」嘅恐慌嚟製造威權管治嘅理由,逼使人民放棄思想同抗爭,做個順民去拜服極權,等佢哋以為自己可以千秋萬世。
I will not say that the attack is not important, or lighten it up or paper over the cracks. Anyone have conscious will definitely be heartbroken and ambushed about the attack at the West Rail. But the truth is that, our outrageous has nowhere to escape. Our society system is corrupting, the totalitarianism is raging brutally to a point where no one is allowed to have their own thinking and feeling. When a simple graffiti is an act to test the bottom line of the government's governance, when the Chief Executive ridiculously condemns the destruction of a symbolic device more than the vicious attack to innocent citizen, I know that our lives have absolutely no values to these senior officials. This evil political system is taking lives, creating the chaos and the reason for their stuck-up governance, forcing the people to give up fighting, while eventually the people will worship them as gods with their kingdom lasts forever.
但係,在荒謬絕倫、置身喺邪惡陰謀嘅被襲經驗之中,我感受到身邊仍然有可愛嘅人,無論係素未謀面嘅乘客、救護員、定係我嘅朋友同家人,係佢地嘅愛同關心,使我能夠克服果種面對荒謬時嘅無助感,令我能夠有信心繼續行落去,有勇氣去面對果份無可躲避嘅恐懼,有盼望去戰勝果啲因擔心無差別隨機攻擊而帶嚟嘅心理壓力。
However, in this ridiculous attack experience under the evil conspiracy, there are lovely people around me: passengers , Ambulancemen, friends and family, for their loves and comforts give me the strength to overcome the helpless feeling throughout this absurd situation, the faith to move on, the courage to face the inevitable fear, and the hope to concur the in-depth pressure caused by the desperation of the indiscriminate attack.
昨日的我,經歷了被襲擊,令我完美的一天不再完美,但我卻在遭害和恐懼當中發現了愛和勇氣,是香港人守望的愛。
I was attacked yesterday, and it made my perfect day imperfect. But I found love and courage in the time of danger and fear. Hong Kong people do watch over for each other.
是的,香港人很有愛,所以我們值得擁有比現在更好的社會領袖和政治制度,We deserve better。因為你們有愛,所以我能夠不再怕遭害。因為你們有愛,所以我能夠堅持這個心願。因為你們有愛,所以我有信心香港人能夠一齊撐落去。
HongKongers are so full of love, that is why we deserve better society leaders and political system. We DO deserve better. Because of your love, I do not fear the danger. Because of your love, I can hold tight to hope. Because of your love, I have faith that HongKongers can stick together and make our own future.
香港人,加油💪🏻!
HongKongers, ADD OIL!
i 'm not in danger i am the danger 在 DjFiat LinkCorner Facebook 的精選貼文
สูตรแห่งความสำเร็จ
#เรื่องของพ่อ
ย้อนกลับไปช่วงเริ่มต้นโครงการหลวงใหม่ๆ ในหลวงเคยมีพระราชดำรัสแก่สมาชิกสโมสรโรตารีเมื่อปี 2513 ถึงสูตรความสำเร็จของการปฎิบัติงานบริการชุมชน จึงขอหยิบยกสมการพระราชทานนี้มาถ่ายทอดให้ทุกคนรับทราบกัน
*เนื่องจากพระบรมราโชวาทเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ จึงขออนุญาตแปลเรียบเรียงแบบสรุปความ ใครอยากอ่านต้นฉบับ เราแนบมาให้แล้วด้านล่างค่ะ
"การหาเงินไม่ได้เป็นปัญหา ปัญหาอยู่ที่จะใช้เงินอย่างไรให้เหมาะสมและเกิดประโยชน์สูงสุด ในการนี้จึงขอพูดถึงสูตร 3M และ สมการ M1+M2+M3 = Success (ความสำเร็จ) ซึ่ง
M1 แทน Money (เงิน)
M2 แทน Men (คน)
และ M3 แทน Method (วิธี)
M1 ถูกใช้โดย M2 ด้วย M3
M1 คือเงินบริจาคที่ได้มาจากสมาชิกโรตารีและพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว
M2 คือทีมผู้ร่วมงาน ซึ่งเป็นอาสาสมัครจากทุกสายอาชีพ ตั้งแต่นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ที่เป็นอดีตรัฐมนตรี กระทั่งเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจที่เป็นครูในหมู่บ้านม้ง ทุกคนล้วนมาด้วยจิตอาสาในยามว่างจากงานประจำ ยอมไปที่ห่างไกลและเสี่ยงภัย ไม่หวังแม้เงินตอบแทนและความก้าวหน้าทางการงาน
M3 คือวิธีทำงาน หลักสำคัญคืออย่าให้ยุ่งยาก เน้นให้ความช่วยเหลือเร็ว และตรงจุดที่สุดเท่าที่จะเป็นไปได้ ไม่มีขั้นตอนหรือพิธีรีตองอะไรให้วุ่นวาย เปิดประชุมได้ตั้งแต่ในนา หน้าน้ำตก หรือแม้แต่ระหว่างเยี่ยมราษฎรตามหมู่บ้าน ตามที่ได้เกิดขึ้นเมื่อคราวลูกท้อ ที่สวนสองแสน ณ ดอยปุย (ที่เพจเราได้นำเสนอไปเมื่อวันก่อน)
ในส่วนของสวนสองแสน จากการปฏิบัติงานที่ลดขั้นตอนยุ่งยากจำพวกการอนุมัติงบประมาณ, ขั้นตอนการเห็นชอบจาก ส.ส., การแต่งตั้งคณะทำงาน ทำให้ประหยัดเวลาจัดตั้งสถานีทดลองเพื่อช่วยเหลือชาวเขาไปได้มากถึง 3-4 ปี
#สานต่อที่พ่อทำ
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Anyway, I do not think that finding the money is such a big problem. The problem is HOW to spend it properly, to get the best out of the money spent.
In this problem, three Ms are involved (no reference to recording tape), and the formula is M 1 + M 2 + M 3 = Success.
M 1 is the money, M 2 is Men and M 3 stands for method.
M 1 is used by M 2 with M 3.
M 1 has been provided by donations extracted from your pockets and mine. M 2 are the men, and women, who participate in our work. They are chosen from all walks of life and different professions. From the economist who used to be a Minister of State to the police constable who is a teacher in the Meo village. They are all volunteers, no special pay nor career advancement. They are willing to go to remote, difficult regions, exposed to many kinds of danger. They normally go in their free time, that is mostly on Saturdays and Sundays.
When a team of agricultural experts, land developers or doctors go to visit the hill villages, they use an Air Force of police helicopter. The pilots are those who fly and fight in Chiengrai and Nan, and who are in Chiengmai for a well carned rest.
Coming to M 3, the method of work, simplicity is the key principle. It is to give assistance as quickly and directly as possible. No red tape. No committee was formally set up, so no prolonged session was necessary. Consultations were made in the field, sometimes at lunch near a waterfall, of while visiting a hill village. This is exactly what happened in the case of the experimental station on Doi Pui, Chiengmai. We were inspecting some wild peach trees near a Meo village and were discussing that, to increase the income of the tribesmen, it was imperative to introduce better varieties of cash crop. The cash crops, if successfully introduced, could gradually replace opium and hopefully become the main source of the hill tribe’s income, I am saying this not because of a moral or law-abiding motive, but strictly for economic reason. You see, the hill tribe is already aware of the diminishing economic value of opium. Early this year, while visiting some Meo villages in Chiengmai, I asked the Meos how much a family earned in average from the annual selling of opium. The answer was 3,000 to 5,000 Baht. When asked how much the annual selling of fruits would bring, the reply was that local variety of peaches would bring 4,000 to 12,000 Baht I. It was then that we thought we had the answer. We could improve the wild fruits, such as local peaches, by grafting. We could also choose other fruits which are high-priced and in great demand, such as apples, pears and chestnuts. In fact, there is a great number of wild trees and other plants that could be used, including some medicinal herbs. These present no marketing problem. And the hill tribe will not have to compete with the lowland as the crops cannot be grown successfully there.
It was therefore decided that an experimental station should be set up to conduct researches on cultivation and grafting of temperate zone trees and plants. The official way would require drafting of the programme, budget, cabinet approval, selection of personnel, appointments, etc. The site of the experimental station would have to be selected and purchased, the crops bought and planted. Then we would have to wait for three or four years before the trees are fully grown and ready for the research.
As it happened, we did not have to wait for three of four years. A plantation, located at 3,000 feet above sea level, and with some of the required, full-grown crops, was purchased for 200,000 Baht. Also 40,000 Baht were set aside for the running expenses.
The plantation was transformed into the experimental station which immediately went to work.