Andaman Communal Development and the Tsunami.
Part 1: The origins and culture of the Morgan Sea Gypsies. By Sumroeng Choeychuenjit.
Part 2: Changing Coastal Ways of Life. By Somyot Tolang.
In cooperation with Save Andaman Network. Edited by TAW, Chiang Mai 2008.

Another publication in cooperation with SAN is ‘The origins and culture of the Morgan Sea Gypsies’. It offers us an insight into the myths and some of the stories that accompanied the Sea Gypsies on their centuries long migration from the Celebes Sea to the Andaman Islands of Thailand and Burma; as well as a window on to their current predicament after the 2004 Tsunami, along with their present living conditions, as a contrast to their rich history of exploration across today’s Indonesian archipelago.

Khun Sumroeng Choeychuenjit offers us an introduction to a community of people both mysterious and misunderstood, whilst providing useful material for those people involved in the Tsunami rehabilitation process.

Some aspects of the Sea Gypsies way of life are unique and it will take a great deal of flexibility on the part of government departments plus international and local NGOs to find an appropriate means of sustainably helping them in the long term.

The second book ‘Changing Coastal Ways of Life’ is a collection of stories which is the result of several years of the author’s field work and data collection in the communities of Koh Lee Pae, Koh Phai, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Tarutao and others. It opens a window on to their current situation after the 2004 Tsunami by placing it in a wider perspective of several decades of local development, as it evolved vis???vis the influences of powerful political, economic and administrative actors.

Khun Somyot Tolang reveals the changes taking place in the daily lives of the fishing folk of the Andaman Sea. But his collection of stories illustrates not only the changes wrought by the Tsunami disaster of 2004, but goes beyond. Employing a long term perspective, it highlights the course of development promoted by the government and the private sector, especially government policies that have challenged and caused dramatic transformations in the lives of the fishing communities.

Some outstanding stories about these communities are presented. Appearing again and again are the problems around the issue of land conflict. As their habitats have become famous tourist destinations, they have had to fight for their rights in their newly contested home environments. While the problems are quite clear to local people, future work should concentrate on how the involved parties will cooperate in adequately solving them.

This publication provides the reader a clearer understanding of the Andaman coastal communities’ culture, ways of life and current challenges, as well as a possible starting point for further investigation.

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