"If we believe that we can create change in this world, we can certainly achieve it."

This statement is more than true, especially in the context of Amnesty International, a human rights movement filled with individuals who hold this belief and have come together to support, volunteer, become members, or donate from around the world.

What Amnesty International Thailand has accomplished in the past year demonstrates that together, we are creating change at the grassroots level. This includes providing support to those impacted by human rights violations, raising awareness, enhancing knowledge, fostering space and opportunities for diverse groups—especially children and youth—and even influencing policy changes through engagements with political parties, the government, and global platforms.

Let's delve into Amnesty International Thailand’s 2023 work report to explore how we have harnessed the power of ordinary people to make a significant human rights impact.

Anna’s story

From “bad student” to youth representative on the global human rights stage

Since the major political protests in Thailand in 2020, the number of youth activists participating in the protests has increased tremendously.

Amnesty International has collected data and documented peaceful protests from the past. Among the protesters was “Anna Annanon”, a student under 18 at the time, who was taken into confinement by the Department of Children and Youth from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security without any wrongdoing.

The story of Anna, along with other young people whose rights have been violated by the government, was featured in the report "Child and Young Human Rights Defenders Leading Human Rights Change" and was sent to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders by Amnesty International to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2024. Most of the information was obtained from Amnesty International’s published research.

Anna’s story is just one example among countless youth activists from ordinary, middle-class backgrounds, who have high expectations from their families and who question the strict and nonsensical regulations of the existing education system. These young adults have to live within a systemic structure that violates their rights and freedom to fight for change simultaneously.

Let’s take a look at her struggle and some aspects of her thoughts.

Born in the era of military dictatorship

Anna Annanon, an 18-year-old human rights youth activist, was born and raised in a middle-class family. As a child, she faced Thailand’s strict education system, which requires all students to keep their hair at a certain length. Hair coloring is prohibited, and socks must be of a certain length.

These uniform regulations have nothing to do with intellectual development, yet they have been used for many years, long before Anna was born. They are a display of power, an attempt to tame children for easier control.

Being in a middle-class family comes with high expectations. She had to study seven days a week to get into good schools and universities.

“Having to follow so many rules at such a young age is frustrating, which makes me want to change things. When I was 11 years old, there was news about activists calling for a democratic election. At that time, we were under a coup d'état. I wondered why we couldn’t have a fair election,” Anna wrote in the article, “We were seen as threats to the country’s security for daring to raise our voices.” When she was in high school, she observed an increased use of power by the military government, followed by various types of censorship. Wanting to make a difference, she joined a youth group called “Bad Students,” established in 2020, providing a space to talk about student rights and support children in trouble.

The activities of the "Bad Students" group include campaigns for change in education and questioning the use of authority by teachers in schools. They have created a book called "Survival Guide in School" that affirms the basic rights of students and demands that human rights education be included in the school curriculum. The group also provides safe spaces for sharing feelings, both offline and online, and suggests where help can be sought.

The activities have made Anna aware of the disturbing news and the embarrassment caused by teachers' actions toward students. Some children have been so emotionally impacted that they have resorted to suicide. Others have been expelled from school for standing up and dyeing their hair to commemorate another student who committed suicide after being humiliated and punished by the school for not following the school's hair regulations.

Anna considers herself fortunate to be an activist and speaks out about situations where teachers do not intervene. Although some teachers may fear her work, many support and encourage the children.

However, luck does not always stay with her. Due to her activism in education, she has faced many firsthand challenges. Anna has become a target for authorities and has been threatened by the police. She has been arrested, detained, and placed on a watchlist.

There was one instance when Anna had arranged to meet a friend at a restaurant to study, but she was intercepted by officers from the Department of Children and Youth, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and taken into custody without having committed any wrongdoing.

“We are seen as a threat to security because we dare to speak up. They even have information about us and our families. In the end, we are just teenagers, and it's scary to have to live like this,” Anna revealed her feelings.

Statement on the Global Stage

On the global stage in mid-2023, Anna was selected to represent Thai youth in the international dialogue commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action in Geneva, Switzerland.

During her speech, Anna shared the stories of Thai youth activists, stating that in Thailand, human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) have not been effectively implemented. Despite Thailand's role in drafting the UDHR

Reference

- Amnesty International. รายงานเรื่อง Child and Young Human Rights Defenders Leading Human Rights Change. Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.

- https://www.amnesty.or.th/latest/blog/1183/   อันนา: “เราถูกมองว่าเป็นภัยคุกคามความมั่นคงเพราะกล้าที่จะส่งเสียง”

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