Mekong people fight not to retreat, pleading for sacred things to protect the waters at the Bun Bun Fai Festival in Xayaburi
Mekong Community Network of 7 Northeastern Provinces joins Bun Bun Fai Festival at Nakhon Phanom province, held during the annual pre-boonvisakha bucha event.
This is the first time it has held the event after two years of absence from the covid-19 pandemic in the area. After the Mekong Community Network offered seven sangha sets on behalf of the brothers and sisters of the seven villagers in RimKhong Province, the ceremony was held to pay their respects to Luang Pu Shrine through a body of three: Luang Pu Tong. Luang Pu Tao and Luang Pu Sen who has always been worshipped throughout the founding of this estuary community.
Every year, the descendants who travel to work outside the area will return to pay their respects on the ban, pray or solve the various things through the offerings that have been provided, the main arrangement is to light a fireball offering.
Today, the Mekong Brothers and Sisters were invited to the ceremony to pray and on the ban, the court said, and paying homage to The King, as well as the three grandfathers, was a supporter after 10 years of fighting, most recently a trip to the closing statement of the case at the Administrative Court. The brothers and sisters have filed a lawsuit against government agencies involved in the Mekong issue over the construction of the dam and have tried to collect various impact data in the area as evidence demanding fairness.
Today, let’s rely on this sacred place so that you can sympathize with your children. Help inspire stakeholders to join the problem and help you to keep the situation from getting worse. We’re overwhelmed. We have no place to rely on. We’re here to take your support.
Let’s not build another dam, and I want the government to listen to us. After paying homage to Luang Pu in all three courts, a network of Mekong villagers joined forces to float Phanbay Sri Phaya Nak into both the Mekong and War Rivers, while lighting a small fireball of worship amid the music of drum cans and the sheng procession that began to be dense by the pavilion at noon.
Sunthorn Sukkanon, the secretary of the Lower War Basin Protection Association, said that even if the waters change or even the pandemic situation, the plague will come in.
The beliefs of the community remain the same. As can be seen from the visitors, some of the descendants have returned from different areas to join the tradition.
After having to migrate to work elsewhere because of his occupation in agricultural and fishing areas, the impact of river fluctuations after dams were built in both China and Laos. The fireball bun festival in the sixth month is still jolly.
He also believes that the Lower War River has been declared a Ramsarsite area, which may be because the barbarians sacred in the area helped inspire several agencies, such as WWF.
Let’s help with network development, and lower dams are likely to be canceled. This one, he believes, is the power of faith that has always had a positive impact on the community.
In the evening, a large fireball rang out throughout the area and quickly disappeared into the sky, reflecting the beliefs of the descendants who had joined the tradition in Xayaburi. The tradition of faith here never fades away.
Even both rivers are about to vary and change from dam construction to priority. Away from this estuary, a dam project is being driven all around. To the south, ban Kum Dam is formed on the Mekong River about 300 km away.
To the north, there is Pak Chom dam 350 km away and Mae Nam Songkran Dam at Ban Na just 10 km away, which will have an inevitable effect on the waterways and ecosystems in the area.
Despite concerns about what will change, the people of the Mekong and the residents of this Chai Buri community believe that sacred things will help protect communities and waterways. Build the energy together to fight the problems that will come to keep the good in the community forever.
Source: Nongkhai Online News, Pattarawin Leepan