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.
“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.”
“LGBT people are more present in political movements than others because we face more problems than ordinary people. We’re suppressed, discriminated against by society. We face inequality based on our diverse genders.” Pornsit “Lawyer Tor” Raksasap, a representative of local LGBT group and member of the “Sisaket Can’t Stand It” group.
Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community is pushing for the legal protection of gender equality but still faces many obstacles, especially the prejudice of government agencies. Advocating for a law against gender discrimination appears to be a long, uphill task. Guest contributor Chawinroj Terapachalaphon weighs in.
More than two decades after a lush wetland forest disappeared into a man-made reservoir, the people of Rasi Salai still feel ripples. Having lost their traditional livelihoods to the dam, they are determined not to let it swallow up their cultural traditions as well.
In a forum hosted by Sisaket Rajabhat University, Isaan writers young and old have come together with academics to discuss the state of Isaan literature. No longer content to have their cultural narrative voiced by others, they advocate telling the stories of contemporary Isaan through an authentic Isaan voice unfiltered by Bangkok norms.
