Sickness and Death

Shortly after the arrival of the newcomers in the warmer southern climate, many began falling ill, of malaria and other diseases. 

“Soon after the Wa arrived, they started to get ill with malaria and dying. They were dying one after another. Sometimes ten people in one day. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. There were some Wa medics, but they couldn’t save the people. They ordered large trucks of medicine, both Chinese and Thai medicine, but it didn’t seem to work. They buried the bodies outside the village. No sooner had they buried one person, then another person died. Men, women, children, whole families were dying. Some people tried to run away when their family members started dying, but if they were caught they were arrested and beaten. Some men were even killed for trying to run away.” (LNDO Interview #5)

Fearstricken, the newcomers tried to save themselves using their local remedies, but to no avail.

“They tried to cure themselves with magic and traditional medicines. They used chicken, pigs, dogs and more than 10 buffalo to offer to the spirits, but they did not get better. 3-4 people died each day. Because of all the wailing and crying, I sometimes thought I had come to a living hell.(..)

“At that time, our new neighbours also died. All five members of the family next door died. Altogether 50 people died within two weeks. In our native place, we used to cure ourselves with the spirit-doctor when we were sick...The spirit medium said the gods in the south were different from the north.” (LNDO Interview #1)

There has been no official confirmation of the total number of deaths among the new Wa settlers. Estimates from local people in Mong Hsat and Mong Ton put the death toll at 4,000 for the first year, and 1,000 for 2001. However, one news report by AFP in September 2000 quoted a Thai military source as saying that as many as 10,000 Wa had died during the rains of 2000. (see Appendix 5)