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Praying for a roof

Published on October 10, 2005 - Desperate tsunami victims rush to join church off-shoots offering assistance. “I spent Bt25 on this crucifix and have been wearing it around my neck every day,” Nu Rukdee, 58, told The Nation yesterday. She is one of many post-tsunami Protestant recruits who are hoping to get aid if they pray and go to church regularly.

“I never gave much attention to the church, but when I saw them building replacement houses for their members, I figured it was the only way I could get mine fixed,” Nu said.

Her strategy is a familiar one throughout impoverished villages in the six tsunami-effected provinces. With government assistance limited to Bt20,000 per house, many villagers are joining Protestant churches to get new roofs over their heads.

Pastor Thikul Parpsaneh, founder of Phuket’s Choengtalay Church, said the membership of his church has grown nearly threefold since the tsunami. The number of Protestant churches in Phuket increased from eight to 16 since early this year.

Other southern provinces hit by the tsunami have experienced a similar trend.

Phang Nga Senator Wongphan Na Takuathung said new churches have been founded to accommodate new members in tsunami-hit communities such as Baan Nam Khem, Baan Thung Daab, Baan Bang Muang and Koh Phrathong.

He said ethnic sea-gypsy groups were targets of religious conversion because many of them are animists, meaning they are not strong believers of any religion.

In Ranong, activist Kanchana Eidkong, who has been helping tsunami-hit villagers on Koh Lhao, said a new church was built on the small island a few months ago for newly recruited sea-gypsy Protestants. She also heard of other new churches being built elsewhere in Ranong.

But critics point out that such practices are inappropriate, noting that churches should offer assistance even if people do not convert to their faith.

“I believe everybody on Thai soil should have religious freedom as guaranteed in the Constitution,” Wongphan said.

“But I strongly disagree with the ties between material aid and religious conversion. It does not come from pure hearts. It is happening everywhere in my province and I worry about this trend.”

Most of the nearly 300 houses in Nu’s Laem Tukkae village in Phuket were severely damaged in the tsunami. Nu’s relative, one of 100 villagers to join the Choengtalay Church after the tsunami, has seen his house almost completely rebuilt from the rubble.

Nu said the church promised her house would be the next in line. But many villagers have not had the patience to wait.

Busrakum Suparaj, a key management member of Phuket’s Choengtalay Church, said more than 100 people who started coming to the church since the beginning of the year have since dropped out.

“We stopped helping those who were too keen to get just material assistance,” she said.

“We don’t have enough resources to help everybody, so we just have to concentrate on our members who truly believe in God.

“More importantly, our real objective is to offer people a new way of thinking to improve their lives. After receiving God, a lot of people quit drinking and gambling, and now have a better life. Material aid is just a means for us to reach people,” Busarakum said.

Nu agreed that her life became better after she found God.

“When I went out fishing in the sea, I asked for God’s help and I got a lot of fish. God granted me my wish,” she said.

But not all Christians approve of aid tied to religious conversions.

Father Bancha, a Catholic priest from Phuket Socio-Pastoral Centre, said assistance should not be associated with whether or not individuals are involved in the church.

“If people are in need, they should get help regardless. Our programmes are geared to everyone, regardless of faith.”

Human rights expert Gothom Areeya said using aid to recruit new followers has long been a practice of Christian missionaries, but has been widely criticised for not respecting indigenous cultures.

“People certainly need help after such a terrible disaster,” he said.

“But the tsunami fallout should not be used as a means to lure those in hardship.”

Nantiya Tangwisutijit
Phuket