"This Bill will open the first of the many doors towards the truth that the families have long yearned for, so that they will finally be able to live in peace,” Emilie Pradichit, Founder and Executive Director of Manushya Foundation. 

“Thai society has slowly woken up to the scandals and crimes committed by the state,” Pornpen Kongkachonkiet, Director of the Cross Cultural Foundation.

​

“I urge all Thai citizens to speak out against rights abuses and oppression by our government and its agencies. We must not ‘normalise’ these as the action of those in power. To force someone to disappear just because they speak their mind is unforgivable and together we must compel authorities to end this practice,” she added. 

The #itcouldbeyou campaign delivers the message that forced disappearance can happen to anyone regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity. The effect on families of the victims is devastating. The impact on society at large is to seed fear and silence debate.

​

With the increasing consolidation of power by this government, anyone can be perceived to be an ‘enemy of the state’ - and that puts them in danger.

​

The latest leaked ‘watchlist’ believed to be a government document shows even 15 year-old’s are being marked as threats to national security. Cutting across political allegiances, this campaign wants the public to ask “is this a society we want to live in?” 

 

​

Key activities & specific actions:  

​

• A Clubhouse panel debate - held with individuals from the ‘watchlist’ including politicians, lawyers, pro-democracy protesters, and press moderated by Pornpen Kongkachonkiet, Director of Cross Cultural Foundation, hosted by Active Citizen

• The ‘If I disappeared’ letter written by vulnerable categories of individuals to be posted on their social media leading up to the International Day of the Disappeared 

• Interactive Facebook and IG face filters where everyone can become ‘the disappeared’ for a day.

• A series of activations by young influencers over social media. 

• A video of the women left behind by enforced disappearances. A story of three women, a mother who sits on her front porch awaiting for her husband to return for the past 20 years; a Muslim wife who assumes the leadership role in the absence of her husband and sister of the last recorded victim fighting for justice so that her brother is the last to be disappeared. 

​

​

Join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #itcouldbeyou and following @CrCF_Thailand, @ManushyaFdn 

 

Join the campaign on Instagram by following @manushyafoundation

 

Download press kit here

 

 

 

 

For media enquiries regarding enforced disappearance and torture in custody cases, 

please contact Pornpen Kongkachonkiet, Director of CrCF

noinoipornpen@gmail.com; +66 65 59793836

 

For more information on the campaign and media requests, please contact:

Vijitra Duangdee, Program Director, CrCF | vijitra.crcf@gmail.com 

Emilie Pradichit, Founder & Executive Director, Manushya Foundation | emilie@manushyafoundation.org