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Writer's pictureManushya Foundation
Feb 22, 2022

#FightRacism ✊ We made it!











✊ We made it! We successfully brought grievances of local communities to Thailand's CERD Review and ensured groundbreaking interventions of CERD Committee members who addressed racial discrimination against marginalized groups such as Khon Isaan and LGBTIQ+ refugees & asylum seekers in Thailand. Read on to learn more about this historical success! ⤵️


🚨 Thailand is a paradise, but only for the 1%! Ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples are part of the country, but their human rights are not recognized by the Government. They are excluded from Thai society, face racial discrimination, hate speech, negative and harmful stereotypes, and even forced evictions from their ancestral lands. Let's take a look back at what happened during the November 2021 CERD Review. ⤵️


📍 The CERD Committee examines Thailand's compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), in other words, it looks at the country's human rights record related to racial discrimination. The CERD Committee uses information submitted by the Government and civil society as the basis of the review.


Prior to the review, we submitted 2 reports: List of Themes to be considered by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2020) and Joint Civil Society Shadow Report on the Implementation of ICERD (2021), both of them amplifying voices of marginalized communities and informing the CERD Committee about their treatment in Thailand.


Together with Young Pride Club and with the support of ILGA Asia, we participated in two meetings with the CERD Committee members to make sure these concerns are addressed. Our Founder, Emilie Pradichit, especially brought attention to the racial discrimination against Isaan people, while Chitsanupong Nithiwana, Co-Founder of Young Pride Club, addressed challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ refugees & asylum seekers: two issues that had never been addressed during Thailand's CERD Review. And we made it! Community voices were finally heard!


Together with Young Pride Club and with the support of ILGA Asia, we participated in two meetings with the CERD Committee members to make sure these concerns are addressed. We especially brought attention to the racial discrimination against Isaan people and LGBTIQ+ refugees & asylum seekers: two issues that had never been addressed during Thailand's CERD Review. And we made it! Community voices were finally heard!


For the first-ever time at any UN Human Rights review of Thailand, the CERD Committee addressed the issue of the Khon Isaan ethnic group, including their situation of poverty, negative portrayal in Thai media, colorism, and stereotypes such as "mia farang" (white foreigner's wife), "ugly dark skin people", "uneducated lazy people becoming a burden to society".


The Country Rapporteur for Thailand, Ms. Chung Chinsung, noted:


"The Committee received information that the Government continues to spread negative stereotypes about ethnic groups and indigenous peoples such as 'mia farang', 'drug traffickers', 'destroyers of the forest' etc."


The Committee member Mr. Yeung Sik Yuen noted with regards to LGBTIQ+ persons:


"Although Thailand has one of the largest LGBTI communities in Asia, stigma and prejudices and weak legal framework undermine their inclusion in Thai society. The intersection with racial discrimination makes LGBTI people most vulnerable to discrimination and violence."



What were the other significant issues addressed?

👉 LGBTQI+ indigenous peoples

👉 False climate solutions

👉 Discrimination against Malayu Muslims

👉 indigenous peoples


➡️ Concluding observations are the legally binding outcome of the CERD Review. That means the Thai Government has the OBLIGATION to implement them! In November 2021, the CERD Concluding observations addressed all the important issues we advocated for!


#WeAreManyshyan - Equal Human Beings


We call on the Government to comply with its international human rights obligations and promptly implement all concluding observations that the Committee issued!


🗣 Join our call to remind the Government of its responsibilities! Like and share this post!


💬 What should the Government do next to fulfill its human rights obligations? Tell us in the comments! ⤵️



👉🏻 Check our previous posts on #FightRacism :


Manushya Foundation, #FightRacism - Why is the Thai government lying to us about Indigenous peoples?, (17 February 2022), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/post/fightracism-why-is-the-thai-government-lying-to-us-about-indigenous-peoples


Manushya Foundation, Human rights violations in the Southern Border Provinces denounced by an international human rights, (8 February 2022), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/post/human-rights-violations-in-the-southern-border-provinces-denounced-by-an-international-human-rights


Manushya Foundation, Khon Isaan: Voice of the marginalized community finally heard!, (23 December 2021), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/post/khon-isaan-voice-of-the-marginalized-community-finally-heard


Manushya Foundation, Indigenous peoples' voices finally heard at the UN human rights reviews!, (8 December 2021), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/post/indigenous-peoples-voices-finally-heard-at-the-un-human-rights-reviews


Manushya Foundation, How do we #FightRacism?, (5 December 2021), available at: https://www.manushyafoundation.org/post/how-do-we-fightracism


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