Natthapan Saengtab: Leading the fight for land rights in Southern Thailand Published: 9 February 2022 Photo story At the age of 18, Natthapan Saengtab crashed her motorcycle into a stranger's car. It set off a chain of events that would see her parents lose their land, sending the family on a downward spiral. But against all odds, the fateful accident set Natthapan on the path to becoming a prominent land rights defender in southern Thailand. By Paritta (Mai) Wangkiat and Luke Duggleby
Thailand’s Alisa Bintuna: Believing in the young generation’s power to change the world Published: 9 February 2022 Photo story Alisa, who goes by the nickname Fon, went to a high school located right at the beach, prompting her to develop a deep interest in the coastal communities of her hometown. She then became inspired to pursue a career in law, hoping to bring the voices of local communities into the country's environmental laws and regulations. Today, the young activist is one of the pioneers of encouraging young people in Thailand's South to raise their voices for change. She became one of the few youth representatives in national politics dedicated to community struggles in the country’s coastal areas. By Wanpen Pajai and Luke Duggleby
Songseang Supanya: A rising voice of empowerment for the slums of Bangkok Published: 9 February 2022 Photo story Until the second grade, Songseang Supanya did not see a problem with commuting to school in a saleng, a three-wheeled cart her parents used for scavenging in the streets of Bangkok. Then, in third grade, she switched to a school van, supervised every morning by teachers. "One day, I overheard a teacher talk about picking me up from home. 'She lives in a slum!' she said. I felt terrible. I questioned whether living in a slum meant I was not a [good] student," Songeang recalls. By Siyoree (Joyce) Thaitrakulpanich and Luke Duggleby
Seeking Justice: How Yureesa Sama builds peace through dialogue in the Deep South Published: 9 February 2022 Photo story Yureesa Sama was a high-school student when the police officers showed up at her doorstep for the first time in 2010. Her family lived in a small house surrounded by rice paddies in a Malay-Muslim community in Pattani province in Thailand's Deep South. The officers questioned her parents, family members and neighbours. Then they left, only to return the following week, the one after that and so on. Sometimes they just hung around the house for hours watching who came and went. Yureesa sensed her parents' concern and knew something was wrong, but she didn't quite understand what was going on. Finally, she was told not to worry and focus on her studies. In most other places in Thailand, the officers' conduct would have raised eyebrows, but the Deep South has been ruled by martial law since 2005. Growing up in a region affected by a prolonged separatist insurgency, Yureesa was taught not to ask too many questions. By Paritta (Mai) Wangkiat and Luke Duggleby
Young voices on the rise – Youth and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region Published: 15 December 2021 Dossier In the Asia-Pacific region, the contest between democracy and autocracy has further escalated in recent years, and the younger generation is playing an increasingly decisive role with creative and innovative forms of democratic engagement. By examining the role of youth in democracy and human rights movements from a wide range of perspectives, this dossier aims to amplify and spread knowledge about the political involvement of youth in their respective regions and, subsequently, to contribute to improve international support mechanisms for ‘Young Advocates For Democracy’ (YA4D).
Khairiyah Rahmanyah: The fisherfolk’s daughter who defends the ocean in Southern Thailand Published: 15 December 2021 Photo story Sitting in front of Songkhla’s city hall, a seaside city in southern Thailand, a young woman dressed in a hijab wrote a letter to the country's prime minister. Choosing each word with care, she called on him "to listen to the stories of the fisherfolk’s children who grew up and bonded with the sea, protected and took care of it." It was in May 2020, two days before a week-long public hearing session for the Chana Industrial Estate project that is poised to transform the quiet fishing villages of Songkhla province into an industrial zone. By Wanpen Pajai and Luke Duggleby
Patchara Kumchumnan, passionate indigenous rights defender behind the #SaveBangKloi campaign Published: 15 December 2021 Photo story Homophobia, prejudice and hatred marked Patchara Kumchumnan's childhood. It's taken him a few years and some hundred kilometres to escape the prejudice and hatred in his hometown. But, while the scar of discrimination never faded completely, the experience became his driving force to defend the rights of others. By Nanticha (Lynn) Ocharoenchai and Luke Duggleby
Thai artist Tada Hengsapkul dredges up history the government wants hidden Published: 15 December 2021 Photo story One of the most radical political artists in the Thai scene, 34-year-old Tada Hengsapkul ties together nationalism, often-ugly politics, and the bruises of the Cold War in provocative, thought-provoking art. In the current political climate where police violence against pro-democracy protesters has been increasingly rampant, his past works still ring true. By Asaree (Mind) Thaitrakulpanich and Luke Duggleby
Covid-19, Bangkok, and Its People Published: 2 July 2021 Photo essay A Photo Essay by Amphon Chansirisri By Amphon Chansirisri
On Land Grabbing and Cross-border Investment: Case of Cambodian Migrant Workers in Thailand from a Gender-lens Published: 17 September 2018 Analysis Land grabbing in Southeast Asia continues to be an issue of concern. The population in the region largely live in rural areas and make their living by depending on natural resources such as land and water. This article is based on a research in Cambodia and discusses key findings by using gender lens to highlight changes occurred on various levels in the community. By Premrudee Daoroung