Word: phatthalung
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...remote islands are guarded by dozens of armed men - in effect private armies - and are often run "like independent states," says Jandam, the author of the industry study. Companies discourage all visitors, claiming they might disrupt the birds' habitat. In Koh Si Koh Ha, a string of islands in Phatthalung province, 14 suspected nest thieves were shot dead in two separate incidents in the early 1990s...
...connection between nests and violence continues to this day. The island of Koh Mak gets about $1.1 million in nest revenue every year, eight times more than the budget of some other Phatthalung subdistricts unblessed by nesting swiftlets. In 1997, the Thai government passed legislation to make the industry more transparent and ensure that government revenue from concessions is funneled back into local communities. But a string of unsolved murders on Koh Mak indicates hazardous aspects of the harvesting trade linger. Pradit Jariya, 35, has been administrative chief of the island for a year now. It's quite an achievement...