Published in: Ilta-Sanomat Plussa, 20th of November, 2004

 - FROM A DEATH TRAP TO A TOURIST TRAP

- DEEP IN THE JUNGLES OF NORTH-EAST THAILAND, THE HELL WAS LET LOOSE 60 YEARS AGO

- Here it is now. I feel like whistling. The green-gray water flows slowly under the modest railway bridge. The tourists that are walking on the bridge, are taking many pictures, after all, this is the very famous and hellish place. The railway that connects Burma (Myanmar) and Pacific Ocean, isn't called the "Railway of Death" without a reason. The railway which is 415 kilometers long, took approximately the lives of a 100 000 people during a fifteen month period. The railway that goes in the jungles of Thailand and Burma, is best known from the movie by David Lean: The Bridge On The River Kwai. The most realistic part in the movie that was finished in 1957, is the music. But the movie can claim the credit, that now millions of tourists come to see the bridge, which is a very modest one with any modern standards. And actually, the bridge isn't even a genuine, it's brought from Indonesia. The real Bridge on the river Kwai was made from wood. It was not blown by the prisoners who worked on the bridge as a slaves. The allies bombed the bridge into pieces in 1945. In any case, the past of the bridge on the river Kwai, explains it's present status. Without the movie, there would most likely be no tourists walking on the bridge and visiting the close by tourist traps.

- The Japanese used prisoners to construct the railway, which was meant to provide a easy transportation of armaments and other supplies from Malaysia to the troops that were occupying Burma. Using the railway, enabled them to avoid the risky ship routes around the Malaysian peninsula. The Kingdom of Thailand was in a similar position with Japan, as Finland was with Germany, so Thailand allowed the railway construction effort of the Japanese. There were some 65 000 British, Dutch, Australian and American POW's working and along with them, 250 000 local peasants. The estimates vary depending on the source. Now in these same areas, the country men of the POW's and their relatives are visiting the area and remembering them, but no one remembers the cruel fate of the peasants. Just before the bridge, there's a massive and touching cemetery, where the names of the ones who died, are carved, 13 500 names in total. Most likely some of their remains have been buried to the ground. In total 16 000 allied POW's died, but even a 100 000 peasants died and they don't have any memorial. The winners write the history, but time forgives. Among the western tourists, there are Japanese tourists visiting the bridge and the cemetery. This is the case now also, a very nice looking digital cameras are taking many pictures.

- A whistle which is hurting the ears can be heard, then another one and even a third one. The train is coming, get out from the bridge! We jump to train from the station and surprisingly, there's even a local people traveling in this train. The villagers are on their way to home from Bangkok, where they go early in the morning to sell out their chickens, vegetables, pigs, fruits and other things. Here in the Kanchanabury lives the people who's only source of income is the 8 million people in the giant city. The train makes the journey twice a day. The atmosphere is a nice one, even a funny one. The people in Thailand are friendly and they have a sense of humor. Even when we don't have a common language to share, the hands are telling the main points. There's people in the train, who are selling lemonade from a bucket which is filled with ice. Each one has it's own area between different stations and they don't step on other one's territory. 

- The rice and corn fields goes pass slowly as the train continues it's journey slowly. It's hard to realize that 60 years ago, the hell was let loose here. The prisoners worked in inhumane conditions for even a 20 hours in a day. The temperature was in 45 degrees of celcius at it's worst. The clothes were just a pile of lumps and the equipment which was to be used for the working, was useless and out of date. The sleep which was nearly non-existent, was slept on a hard and quickly build bench inside a bamboo hut. There was not enough food. Malaria, cholera, diarrhea, rotting wounds and amputations which was used as a cure, killed people like flies. If someone disobeyed, the result was either a hole in the ground or a hot hut made from tin plates.

- It's hot now too, but the open windows in the train which act as an air conditioner helps a bit. If you're thirsty, you can always buy a beer, Coca-Cola, water or anything you like with a few coins. The train slows it's speed and people are hanging from the windows and looking how the train manages to pass by the most narrow part of this track. On the other side there is a vertical wall and on the other side, emptiness, without a any fences. At the station of Wang Pon, the western people get out of the train and rush to the restaurant, owned by a local person. A train full of hungry people is a good business for the restaurant. The journey continues with a boat, which is keeping an awful noise, along the river Kwai. A big white bird is watching the boat from a nearby tree in the shore. No need to try to guess what kind of bird or a tree. Not a gull that's for sure. The end of the journey is the River Kwai Village hotel and it's floating rooms. Along with the hotel, there's a small museum. Only a few photographs and items have survived from those horrible months. There's a moving letter in the museum from a British prisoner who returned to his hell, in the early part of the nineties. There's not many veterans remaining from the "Railway of Death".