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Greenpeace supports the Justice for Maya Bay International Alliance in their efforts to ensure justice for local Thai residents.

In late 1998, the US Company Twentieth Century Fox bulldozed and reshaped Maya Beach, part of Phi Phi Islands National Park, for just two weeks of filming for The Beach, because its natural scenery was not considered good enough to project Hollywood's ideal of a 'tropical paradise'.

Changes included leveling the beach to allow for a football match scene in the film, and the bulldozing of many rare native plant species to allow planting of many non-native plant species such as coconut palms deemed essential for the Hollywood image of paradise.

The filmmakers had the support of Thai bureaucrats and politicians following payment of a 'donation' of 4 million baht (US$108,000) to the Royal Forestry Department. The normal fee for filming in a Thai national park is 1,000 baht per day. But then, normal filmmakers abide by the laws which expressly forbid any significant alteration of the environment within Thai National Parks.

During the recent monsoon season, the sand dunes collapsed and were washed into the bay along with the Fox 'restoration' efforts, because the landscape changes have altered the natural barriers to erosion. This erosion is still happening, despite the claims of the filmmakers to have returned the filming site not only to its 'original' state, but to an improved state!

The worst erosion ever seen at the site has led to fears that the additional sand washed into the shallow bay will smother the corals and harm the livelihoods of locals who rely on income from tourists and fishing in the area.

Local people revere Maya as sacred ground. They launched a lawsuit in January 1999 against Fox and the government agencies and officials who allowed the filmmakers to ravage a protected area. Forty-one prominent Thai law professors issued a statement last year explaining Fox's law violations. The court case is ongoing - the next hearing is March 5-7.

In the interim, Fox has won over the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and is co-sponsoring a joint tourism campaign to promote 'The Beach' movie and Thailand's beaches.

After filming	After the monsoon
Although the dune appears well restored, the damage to its root system makes it vulnerable to erosion.	After big storms the extent of erosion of the dune is massive - no other beaches in the area are damaged to this extent.

Democracy and environmental groups in Thailand are outraged at the sheer arrogance of the films director, Danny Boyle who has publicly suggested that the filming had actually raised environmental awareness in the country where 'it previously had no profile whatsoever'.

They are shocked at the way Twentieth Century Fox has used the force of power and big money to produce the movie, to brush aside a civil society struggling to phase out harmful policies and corruption. If a giant US company like Fox can get away with such bulldozer mentality, small nations will be even more exposed to economic, cultural and environmental imperialism in a world increasingly geared to globalisation and economic rationalism.

The Photo Essay on the Maya Bay International Alliance website provides photographic evidence for each stage of Fox's despoiling of Maya Beach and amounts to a damning indictment of not only the original actions but any attempt to make excuses for them.

TAKE ACTION:

Visit the Justice for Maya Bay International Alliance website and Women's Voices for the Earth for further information and to indicate your support for their call to Boycot 'The Beach': The Bulldozer Movie.

Ensure your Cinema Complex Manager knows why you are not going to see the film.

Urge US authorities to investigate Fox on suspicion of bribing Thai government officials to facilitate the filming, in contravention of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Demand that Fox tell the truth and acknowledge their mistake. Expose the lies of 'The Beach' filmmakers who claim that the film was made in an environmentally sound way and that the filming site was not only returned to its 'original' state but improved.

The following contact addresses may be helpful in your action:

Fox Hollywood Office, 10201 W. Pico Blvd, Building 89, Rm 224, Los Angeles, CA90035, USA
Fax: 1-310-969 160001
Email: carolse@fox.com
Contacts: Andrew McDonald: Producer of 'The Beach'
Carol Sewell, Public Relations Vice President of 20th Century Fox

Media Consultant to Leonardo DiCaprio: Ken Sunshine
Email: kensunshine@hotmail.com

Other useful contacts:
'The Nation', an English-Bangkok newspaper that has prominently covered 'The Beach' case:
Email: Editor@nation.nationgroup.com Website: www.nationmultimedia.com

Thai-based Tourism Investigation and Monitoring Team
Email: tim-team@access.inet.co.th

Prasert Sornnuvattara (num krabi), representative of local Academics, students and NGOs fighting for justice for Maya Beach
Email: prasert_krabi@hotmail.com

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