Mediating Chana: Seeding Synergies between Doves and Development

Abstract

For almost a century, domestication of zebra doves for birdsongs has given Chana the reputation as the emerging Southeast Asian capital of zebra doves. In this rural district in the southern coast of Thailand, the doves are not only worth more than gold but also hold higher values in the local society and in the community stewardship to the environment. In 2019, the national government of Thailand put forward a 6,000-acre plan to build an industrial metropolis and deep seaports in the area. If realized, this project will transform the pristine beaches and agricultural landscapes of Chana into special economic zones and the largest industrial complex in the south of Thailand. This process would inevitably hinder the dove ecologies of the area.

The forces driving this development are twofold: first, the centralized government has framed the project as a way to promote national growth through an opportunistic global trade. Second, the plan is also driven by a national-security agenda aimed at quelling the on-going ‘separatist insurgencies’ along the southern borders to Malaysia. The plan is not new; some locals see it as another reproduction of large-scale projects deployed under the highly centralized government. These plans often deepen regional impasses by prioritizing economic development and simplify other complex socio-cultural and environmental dimensions.

The thesis is looking at these tensions between the forces of globalization, national development and the local culture. Drawing on my investigation of the unique relationships between humans and non-humans in Chana, the thesis focuses on the potentials of the doves and other local assets to negotiate the direction of development. The thesis proposes a series of design scenarios to preserve the local culture, regenerate the local assets, and project future industries. Countering the top-down plan, the study’s goal is to move beyond the impasse by orchestrating the synergies between the singing doves and the impending development.