indigenous people and the revolution of bru’s people in the phuphan mountains

Abstract

This research studied the awareness and the role of the indigenous people “Bru Nation”,
in the revolutionary movement and political struggle in the Phu Phan mountains area of Thailand.
This study integrated qualitative research methods by using in-depth interviews, documentary
study and participatory observation in the area of five villages of Bru ethnic group, Mukdahan
Province. The study found that Bru people who used the Austro-Asiatic family language have lived in
the land of the Mekong River for a long time. They have a beautiful specific cultural and
eco-ethnic. The fight to usurp the land and people as an established state of Laos and Siam
resulted in the condition to bring about the master and servant class. The loss from the battle
became the oppression in race and culture. However, these indigenous people had tried to fight
for rights and equality all the time since the era called “Peasant Rebellion”. They had fought for
the liberation from the French colonies in southern Laos before the movement of the Indochina
Communist Party. Even the Communist Party of Thailand supported the concept and guidelines
for the liberation of the peoples in the Phu Phan mountains area, in the early decades 2500. At
the same time, Bru people helped the Thai Communist Party about food, military, dwelling and
etc. until the first of people's military and freedom area of communists in Northeastern Thailand
occurred.