McKean Center Destruction 1st February 2016
This week many of Chiang Mai’s biggest Heritage trees are being cut down. At the McKean Rehabilitation Center a great swathe is being cut through trees along the western road which links the two cottage villages.
Trees destroyed in the main are great Rain Trees and the medicinal Gabak trees planted by Dr McKean over a century ago for the treatment of lepers. Also the beautiful native trees of Chiang Mai the red flowered capok – Bombax cebia which tower over the landscape are being cut down.
While many trees have gone work was proceeding at sunset on 1st February, today.
More trees will be cut Tuesday 2nd unless friends of McKean can force a stop.
Two of us from Gum Hak Doi Suthep cycled to McKean this afternoon, and upon seeing the destruction went to the McKean administration office to register a protest at this destruction of Chiang Mai’s natural heritage. The administrator was present but chose not to hear what we had come for and directed a subordinate to speak with us.
When asked what was happening along the road he feigned ignorance and then when told of trees being cut he firstly claimed that only some branches were being removed. Then came a second story that a way was being made for a power line to service the villages. Another lie as the path cut is many times wider than needed for such an installation.
He did say that the work was being carried out by to order from the McKean administration.
Any readers concerned for the conservation of our heritage and for retaining a beautiful, green environment for the elderly residents of McKean in their twilight years are urged to contact the administration and Christ Church, the custodian of the property under a grant from the late Chao of Chiang Mai are urged to insist the Director of McKean order an immediate stop to this destruction.
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