Los Angeles, CA - Fifty protesters gathered at the Royal Thai Consulate today to denounce Thailand’s military junta and advocate for Thai political rights. Members of ENGAGE, an LA-based nonprofit with close ties to the Thai New Democracy Movement, organized the action demanding that all charges be dropped against the fourteen Thai students who were arrested last month for speaking out against the military coup, and demanding the release of all political prisoners currently detained under the military junta. Under the controversial Article 44 of the interim constitution, Thai civilians cannot assemble in groups larger than five individuals to discuss politics, cannot express discontent with the military coup or current political situation in Thailand, can be detained for seven days without charges or bail, and are tried in military court, as opposed to civil court with no possibility for appeals.

This is the second time this month that a group has gathered here in Los Angeles, adding to a growing movement of Thais and Thai supporters in the U.S. mounting international  pressure on the Thai military to stop its crackdown on citizens. “Our Thai friends are subject to military prison for what we are doing here,” said Rachel Karpelowitz an organizer with ENGAGE who lived in Thailand working alongside the New Democracy Movement. “We are here using the political rights we have to fight for democracy there.” Similar protests have been staged in San Francisco and New York.

The demonstration had a diverse attendance, including members of both the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts, political factions in Thailand that have clashed in often bloody struggles for power in Thailand. Today, however, members of both sides came together to put their country first. “Right now Thailand is under dictatorship and with this situation people cannot do anything to protect themselves or their community. Even though my friends are no longer in prison, under the dictatorship Thai people are not allowed freedom of speech or assembly,” stated Chutiphong Pipoppinyo, a San Francisco based member of the New Democracy Movement. “It makes little difference whether they are in jail or not, we still aren’t free. In order to free all people we have to release all political prisoners and bring democracy back to Thailand, that is why I have to keep fighting.”

Mike Aguilar
ENGAGE USA
Phone: 323-804-6955
Email : Engagerusa@gmail.com

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 29, 2015) -- Members of ENGAGE (Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange) held a demonstration outside of the Los Angeles Thai Consulate today to protest the military coup and the Thai government’s crackdown on political speech. The protesters responded to the imprisonment of allies in the Neo-Democracy Movement, a national coalition of Thais fighting for the right to organize and speak openly about government repression.

They delivered a list of demands calling for the Consul General, Jesda Kataventin, to denounce the controversial Article 44 of the Thai Constitution, which establishes such restrictions on political speech, as well as the release of their Thai student friends from prison.

They then held a protest incorporating various songs, chants and visual representations demonstrating the groups demands. Members of ENGAGE remained at the consulate for two hours despite police involvement.

"We have gathered to recognize the bravery and heroism of the Thai student movement putting their bodies and lives on the line to show the world the illegitimacy of the current military coup as they face seven years in prison for gathering in a public space, defying dictatorial laws," said Michael Aguilar, a member of ENGAGE. "Today we demonstrate in front of the Royal Thai Consulate to say what our friends cannot, no coup and yes to community self-determination. Long live the fight for freedom."
 
As a result of Article 44, Thai civilians cannot assemble in groups larger than five individuals to discuss politics, can be detained for seven days without charges or bail, and are tried in military court, as opposed to civil court with no possibility for appeals. Additionally, Article 44 grants absolute authority to a single entity, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

"Everyone, regardless of where they are born, should be allowed basic human rights and freedom to organize," said Jude Peckinpaugh, a member of ENGAGE who recently returned from Thailand. "This action is to show that we stand in support of their recent non-violent civil disobedience and demand that they are released from prison."

These demands were vocalized when protestors were heard chanting, "Just say no to Prayuth's lies, defend students rights to organize".

The demonstrator's list of demands delivered to the Consul General are as follows:
1)    Rescind your support for Article 44
2)    Demand civil, not military, trials for all civilians
3)    Demand the reduction of military harassment on community and student groups
4)    Submit a request for the release of the following 14 students from the Neo-Democracy Movement from prison and for the charges against them to be dropped:
    1.     Rangsiman Rome
    2.     Chonticha Chaeng-rew
    3.     Ratthapol Surasopon
    4.     Songtham Kaewpanpruek
    5.     Pornchai Yuanyee
    6.     Pakron Arrekul
    7.     Abhisit Sapnaphana
    8.     Jaturapak Boonpatararaksa
    9.     Apiwat Suntararak
    10.  Payu Bunsophon
    11.  Panupong Srithananuwat
    12.  Suwitcha Thipangkorn
    13.  Supachai Pukrongply
    14.  Wasan Sethsitthi
5)    Demand investigation of the May 15, 2014 attack on Na Nong Bong community, and any consequential prosecution of the perpetrators
6)    Demand suspension of the TKL gold mine activities until the environmental, social, and health consequences of the mine on Na Nong Bong community have been investigated and properly resolved

As people struggle to hold onto their land, livelihoods and basic human rights, NGO's and students are speaking out in protest. People all over Thailand are resisting the government in many different ways. From students staging actions, to NGO's fighting through the judicial systems, it is clear that people are aware of how dishonestly they are being treated by their government. 

We spoke to Decha Premrudeelert, a community organizer in Northeast Thailand, a long-term mentor of ENGAGE and former leader of NGO-Coordinating Committee on Rural Development (CORD), Sasiprapa Raisanguan, a Law student and activist at Khon Kaen University and Suwit Gularpwong, the current chairperson of NGO-CORD. 

These activists shared with us the passion they have for human rights, the government's current relationship with large corporations and what needs to be done to fight the injustices that the people in Na Nong Bong struggle with everyday.

On 15 March, 2012, Bernardo Vásquez, agronomist and community defender of Oaxaca, Mexico, was assassinated by hired pro-mine gunmen. On the one year anniversary of his death, his hometown organized a tribute to him and to movements in opposition to mining in Mexico and Guatemala. They held their tribute at the fences of the Fortuna Silver mine.

A bit more than a year after the tribute in Mexico, on 15 May, 2014, violence erupted in Loei, Thailand when a pro-mine, armed mob surrounded community defenders, forcing the villagers to make way for trucks loaded with ore to leave the mining site.

Yesterday, one year after the Loei incident, the victims of the assault spoke out in memory of the violence. KRBK's message, directed towards the state, military, police, capitalists, consumers, and everyone who will listen, is translated to English here.How many more dates of violence will be recorded in history as a result of our greed and disrespect for community and human rights?

Help spread the word about the violence that mining creates, and help support community-led solutions by raising money for affected communities to meet and create strategies this July in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Just 2 more weeks to raise almost 2,000 more USD!

“It’s important because you come from very far away and you try to connect with local communities- those that cannot speak English. But we can connect- that is very beautiful.”

This week we sat down with Decha Premrudeelert, a community organizer in Northeast Thailand and a long-term mentor of ENGAGE and the CIEE Thailand program and talked with him about our Support Community Rights: Mining Justice Campaign. In the video Decha shares his ideas about the ENGAGE network and the importance of international exchange. Decha was a member of the pro-democracy student movement in Thailand in the 1970’s and has worked alongside people in the region ever since. The wisdom of teachers like Decha has inspired the ENGAGE network since its creation and we are grateful for his continued support of the Support Community Rights: Mining Resistance Campaign. To hear the whole conversation check out the video below!

Happy Earth Day! In a moment when the world is reminded of the importance of our environment, we would like to remind the world about the everyday destruction of the water, the land, and the air in Na Nong Bong because of irresponsible mining practices. This a great chance to highlight the resilience and dedication the community members have to restoring their environment and shutting down projects that harm our earth and our people, from Northeast Thailand to Oaxaca, Mexico. Check out this inspiring video of villagers singing one of their many protest songs about their struggle. Please consider making a contribution to support community rights today and sharing our efforts with your friends and family.

Lyrics:

We don’t dare to eat the rice from our own hometown, Because of the poisons the gold mine has released, Manganese, arsenic, and cyanide.
No matter how hard we’ve worked to plant rice,
We don’t dare to eat the rice in our own hometown. We don’t dare to eat the fish from our own hometown, because of what the gold mine has released.

Kod fish, Keng fish, small fish, big fish,
We used to trap in our nets but still,
We don’t dare to eat the fish from our own hometown.
We don’t dare to drink the water from our own hometown, because of what the gold mine has released.

We don’t shower with, drink, or use the hazardous water. We buy it to drink, shower and use.
We don’t dare to shower with the water from our own hometown. But we still love, love our hometown,

Love our brothers and sisters of the Huay River.
Tapfaa, Sampabon, and Pulek Mountains are still beautiful.
We’re helping to protect our hometown because we love our hometown.
So we don’t want the goldmine.

The mine doesn’t live up to rice,
The rice, fish, fields, and, water that used to be ours.
The reason we’re protecting our home, is because we still love our hometown, because we still love our hometown