Bird senders, finders make contact, pledge friendship

WASSANA NANUAM

A 15-year-old girl in Narathiwat has vowed to be sisters with another student who folded the paper crane she picked up.

Mae-eya Bula said one of the cranes she collected in Muang district of Narathiwat carried the sender's mobile phone number and the message, ``Peace for the South and best wishes to southern people.''

The sender was 22-year-old Kanittha Srinarak, a senior student at Santapol College in Udon Thani more than 1,000 kilometres away. She folded more than 40 birds two weeks ago.

Mae-eya phoned Kanittha and they talked at length before promising to be sworn sisters.

Kanittha said she wrote her phone number on the cranes, expecting the receiver to call back. She wanted to ask about the situation in the South.

``Then Mae-eya called. Fate has brought us together,'' she said.

They promised to keep in touch.

Kanittha said she did not write down her phone number in search of a boyfriend. Mae-eya said she was touched that people from other regions were thoughtful enough to fold so many cranes in an act of goodwill.

Most paper birds airdropped over Muang district came from northeastern provinces including Maha Sarakham, Nong Khai and Udon Thani.

Rosali Jeyoh, 24, said he used paper birds to decorate his head band in reciprocation of the peace gesture and for fun.

One bird came from second grader Apilit Phravipan, of Kosum Phisai district of Maha Sarakham. The boy wrote: ``Concern for southern unrest. Let there be peace.''

Rosali said he felt moved reading the message. He believed karma bound people together and the bird drop helped make that a reality.

``It's like we're connected somehow, to be able to get hold of someone's bird. We're all Thais after all,'' he said.

Rosali said it was a pity the sender was not a girl, otherwise she could be his soulmate.