HOLLYWOOD DESTROYING NATIONAL PARK IN THAILAND: Boycott 20th Century Fox movie "THE BEACH"
Dear Friends,
On a recent trip to Thailand I discovered that 20th Century Fox is
making a
movie called "The Beach" on Phi Phi Leh Island, a treasured National
Park in
Thailand. Portions of the film, which stars Leonardo Di Caprio (Titanic-
fame), will be shot on Maya Beach on the island of Phi Phi Leh. This is
one
of the most beautiful, unspoiled islands in the Pacific and it is being
destroyed to meet Hollywood's perception of paradise. The film company
has
already bulldozed large portions of the beach and removed much of the
natural
vegetation (Giant Milkweed, Sea Pandanus, Spider Lily and other beach
grass)
in order to widen the beach to accommodate a football scene. Fox plans to
replace the native vegetation with 100 non-native coconut palms to create
their "paradise."
Local Thai activists feared that removing the natural vegetation would
create
serious erosion, and they were right. The beach has already been eroded
and
now locals are very worried about how much of the beach and bay will
remain
after the monsoons.
Phi Phi Leh Island is supposedly protected as a National Park and is
key to
the local tourist economy. Thai activists report that Thailand's Royal
Forestry Department violated their own regulations and were bought off by
20th
Century Fox, who paid the government Bhat 4 million. Local activists are
enraged that the government would cave in to Fox's demands and that their
concerns were ignored. Activists are not opposed to filming on Maya Bay,
but
want the island to be filmed as-is. A lawsuit has been filed, but an
injunction to stop further destruction of the island was denied.
The local Thai people have tried everything, from the courts to blockading
the
beach, to protect their island. They need our help. They ask the
American
public to take action and boycott the film. The Thai people point out
that
Americans would never allow Thai film makers to bulldoze Yellowstone or
other
US National Parks. Hollywood must get the message that exploiting the
environment and powerless people is unethical for mere entertainment.
Please help the people of Thailand by:
Passing this message on to everyone you know.
Signing the petition BELOW
Write a letter to producer Andrew McDonald. Tell him you will boycott
the film unless 20th Century Fox stops destroying Maya Bay.
The address is:
Andrew MacDonald, Producer
c/o Carol Sewell
10201 W. Pico Blvd. Building 89, Room 224
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Please sign the petition and forward to someone else. If your name is
#50,
#100, #150 and so on, please send the petition back to: bryony@wildrockies.org
PETITION:
TO: Andrew McDonald, Producer "The Beach"
We, the undersigned, will not see your film "The Beach" and will encourage
our
friends and family to boycott the film unless you cease and desist from
destroying Maya Bay by removing the native vegetation and planting coconut
palms. Maya Bay is already a paradise and does NOT need Hollywood's
unnecessary alterations.
(Name, Smail Address Here)
=== from: ===
Bruce T. Herbert
206-282-0141
206-282-0142 fax bherbert@igc.org
[THCz@aol.com]
1509 Queen Anne Ave N, Suite 733
Seattle, WA 98109-3160
R A I N F O R E S T R E L I E F
Dedicated to Sparing the World's Rainforests
Rainforest Relief works to protect the world's remaining tropical
and temperate rainforests by reducing the demand for the products
and materials of rainforest destruction such as timber,
plantation agricultural products such as bananas, beef, coffee,
chocolate, and cut flowers and mining products
such as gold, oil and other metals.
