The seminar titled “Justice Has No Boundary: Uniting Against Enforced Disappearance and Confronting Transnational Repression,” held on September 5, 2024, was co-organized by the Cross Cultural Foundation. We wish to inform you that there were attempts by various agencies to silence and censor the event, preventing any mention or display of cases involving Thai refugees who have been forcibly disappeared. Specifically, there was resistance to addressing the case of Wanchalearm Satsaksit—a Thai refugee and political activist who forcibly disappeared in Cambodia on June 4, 2020.
On September 3, 2024, just two days before the event, an association that had rented the venue attempted to suppress discussion of enforced disappearances involving Thai cases, particularly the case of Wanchalearm Satsaksit. The association sent an email to the organizers stating that, as a non-political organization, its rules prohibited any presentation or mention of the cases related to Thailand, whether in discussions or exhibitions.
In response, the organizers clarified to the association that the event is focused on human rights and human security. They emphasized that the purpose is to create a space for exchanging experiences and knowledge to collaboratively find solutions and prevention strategies. This highlights the serious issues of human rights violations on national, regional, and global levels, particularly concerning enforced disappearances and transnational repression.
On September 4, 2024, the day before the event, approximately 4:00 p.m., the co-organizers visited the venue and discussed the situation with the association. They provided details about the event and all the materials to be used, including images and content for the exhibition, speaker slides, and video files. The association had requested to review these materials and indicated that they would notify the organizers later about whether all items could be displayed.
Later, around 6:40 p.m., the association emailed the co-organizers, acknowledging that human rights discussions often involve “sensitive issues.” However, they emphasized the need to maintain neutrality in their space, in accordance with the guidelines of their parent organization and board. Consequently, they requested that no photos or items related to Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a Thai political activist, be displayed either in the exhibition or in the auditorium, to prevent any potential troubles. They stressed that upholding neutrality is a fundamental principle for their organization.
On the same night, the Cross Cultural Foundation was informed by one of the co-organizers about a need to reconsider the book launch for “The Price of Truth: A Record of the Search for Sitanan Satsaksit’s Brother and the Journey to End the Enforced Disappearance.” The co-organizer reported that they had been threatened and warned by the organization’s board to avoid mentioning Wanchalearm Satsaksit at the event. It was suspected that this issue might be linked to the co-organizer’s relationship and collaboration with a security agency. To mitigate potential repercussions, the team decided to postpone the book launch and refrain from displaying any materials featuring Wanchalearm Satsaksit’s images.
The incident led to Sitanan Satsaksit, Wanchalearm’s sister, being prohibited from displaying Wanchalearm’s red Hawaiian t-shirt and eyeglasses for the exhibition. Additionally, on the morning of the event, the venue owner banned one of the exhibition roll-ups containing information and pictures of Wanchalearm, as well as a video about enforced disappearances in Thailand that featured him.
The Cross Cultural Foundation, a non-profit organization registered under the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC), is dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights and access to justice. We consider the recent attempts to pressure, interfere with, and censor discussions about serious human rights violations, such as the enforced disappearance in Thailand—specifically the case of Wanchalearm Satsaksit—as an unacceptable threat to freedom of expression. These actions violate the right to expression guaranteed by the Thai Constitution and are inconsistent with international standards.
The Cross Cultural Foundation calls for the following actions:
- The Association must re-evaluate its working methods and guidelines to ensure it maintains professionalism and transparency and avoids causing damage to others.
- The Association must clarify why it prohibited the organizers from discussing the enforced disappearance cases in Thailand, particularly Wanchalearm Satsaksit’s case, despite understanding that the seminar focused on human rights and human security; and it is not involved in any political activities.
- The co-organizers should assess their practices and independence to ensure they effectively function as a space for promoting human rights in the country and free from interference or intimidation by any agency.
- Security agencies involved should publicly clarify their alleged attempts to suppress discussion of the Wanchalearm Satsaksit case.
Thailand ratified the International Convention for the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) on May 14, 2024, committing to work with the international community to prevent and address enforced disappearances. Additionally, Thailand has enacted domestic legislation, such as the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565. This law aims to effectively prevent and suppress torture and enforced disappearances within the nation, ensuring that victims receive justice and reparation in all areas, including physical, mental, economic, and social dimensions.
Finally, the Cross Cultural Foundation wishes to express our solidarity with all families of victims of enforced disappearances. We are committed to continuing our efforts to ensure that society remembers all those who have been forcibly disappeared, every day, every month, and every year, so that their names will never be “forced to disappear” ever again.
