The geography and history of freedom fighters set Sakon Nakhon off from the rest of Isaan. Though youth protests have been slow to start and lack some of the vigor seen in other Isaan provinces, Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University, has played an important role in linking the province’s past with the new generation’s protests. (See “Part II: Sakon Nakhon’s rediscovered heroes of democracy” tomorrow.)
“I feel molam is very fitting for LGBT because it’s an open space for us.”–said LGBT person ฺ
Sisaket wouldn’t seem a likely place to find the anti-government protesters led largely by a team of LGBTIQ+ activists. It’s a good sign that even smaller provinces in the Northeast can come up with ways to help Thai society learn to deal with diversity.
Rajabhat University students in Isaan who want to get involved in the ongoing rallies have often faced resistance. Many of these students have asserted their right to protest and are also questioning the kind of education they are receiving. In joining the region’s student movement, they are calling for education reform and the dismantling of the obsolete social system underpinning these institutions.
“I’d never thought in my lifetime that there’d be a student protest in Sisaket. I see this as a hope for Thailand’s democracy,” says Pornchai Maneenil, a Sisaket human right lawyer and activist.
“So, if you want to point fingers at who’s behind this movement, I can say I know who’s behind these rallies. It’s Gen. Prayut. You’re the one who built this movement that’s set on bringing you down.”
From the classroom to a prison cell, Isaan students recount the aftermath of the Oct 13 arrests.
The Isaan Record, working with the Gender Diversity Network of Isaan, launches our series, “LGBTIQ+ in Isaan: On the road to justice and equality.”
A new trend of not standing in theaters during the royal anthem is going viral. People who do not stand declare it as an individual right and the act of not standing is not illegal. It’s happening in Isaan, too.
