The Karen are genuine forest dwellers and, as such, have a deep vested interest in preserving the environment in which they live. Some other ethnic minority groups are not so ecologically aware, especially those who have been involved in the production of opium over the years. Unfortunately a very large proportion of Thai society and the vast majority of Thai officials, when it comes to talking about destruction of the forests and the watersheds, lump the Thai Karen in the same basket of blame as the other minority groups. This lack of understanding of the true role of the Karen in preserving the forest and wild life therein has led to friction at times in recent decades.

Fortunately a small group of dedicated internationally reputable and respected experts, together with their close Thai academic counterparts have been prepared to stand their ground against attacks on the Karen for being destructive of Thailand's precious and fast-dwindling natural resources. The Karen themselves, now much better educated and more worldy-wise than three decades ago, are no longer prepared to have their ethnicity slurred by false accusations, and are ready and willing to stand up for their legal rights as Thai citizens of over 1000 years duration.

The Foundation supports the Thai Karen in their aspirations to be better understood in the environmental and ecological sense, but - by Thai law - must, quite correctly, draw a line between giving constructive advice on general legal and human rights matters, and becoming directly involved in any protest or movement that could be ascertained - rightly or wrongly - as being politically motivated. The Foundation has over the years (including within the last two years) gone out on a series of creaking limbs to support villagers and their legal enterprises against adverse outside attention. In almost all cases we have been able to secure the support of genuine persons of integrity at a high level in local, regional or national society. Obviously we cannot go into specific cases in such a public forum as a web site, but rest assured that we will continue to support justice and fairness against blind officialdom and worse.

We spend a great deal of time talking to village committees about the environment in which they live and the need to preserve this. Never once have we come across any such committee which did not understand fully, albeit in many cases from an instinctive ethnic and historical/cultural viewpoint, the necessity of protecting the beauty in which they live. In almost all cases, however, we come across the horror stories of how "those whose official job is to protect the environment are exactly those who are the masterminds behind its destruction." More than one Karen village headman of our very  close acquaintance has been murdered for his determination to protect the forest and its wildlife around his village. These murders always go "unsolved", although the guilty parties are obvious to all and sundry. We, the Foundation, support and maintain the widows and their children.

There are tales to be told, which will never be told, as the innocent would once again be the only victims.