Today, Thailand rolled out the red carpet for Min Aung Hlaing, architect of Myanmar’s 2021 coup and ICC-wanted war criminal, who seeks international legitimacy for his “presidency” following military-engineered sham elections in April. ⚠️ While millions in Myanmar are bombed, jailed, and driven from their homes under Min Aung Hlaing’s regime, Thailand rewards their oppressor with official honours and business forums. Even worse, Thai authorities are actively colluding in tran

🌏 On 26 May 2026, Manushya Foundation convened a closed-door regional expert meeting “Closing the Protection Gap for Human Rights Defenders in Southeast Asia: Regional Expert Meeting to Address Transnational Repression” in Bangkok, Thailand. We brought together 54 human rights defenders, survivor-advocates, frontline responders, UN actors, diplomats, and civil society allies with one urgent objective: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

We’re looking for two bold, emerging feminist communicators to join Manushya Foundation as Communications Fellows! We have two openings: ✍🏽 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄: for an emerging journalist or activist-campaigner with a compelling pen and strong political voice. 📱 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄: for a creative social media storyteller who understands Thai audiences, online culture, and short-form video. This six-mo

IN PHOTO: Human rights defenders, first responders, UN agencies, diplomats, and survivor-advocates gather in a closed-door convening in Bangkok to build a unified regional response against transnational repression in Southeast Asia. NOTE: This meeting was held under Chatham House Rule to protect participants’ safety and allow honest dialogue. Names, quotes, and photos featured in this blog are shared with consent. All other insights are summarised collectively to protect part

This year’s UN theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” asks the world to look at the people forced into online fraud. But we must also ask: what trapped them there, and who keeps profiting? Across Southeast Asia, trafficking networks weaponise marginalised communities’ need for dignified work. From Thailand serving as a key transit route 🇹🇭 to Laos’s Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone 🇱🇦 becoming a hub for forced criminality, punitive borders and neoliberal economic policies

The second day of our workshop, "From Evidence to Action: Strategic Advocacy for the UPR IV & ICCPR Reviews of Thailand", was all about shifting power. We moved from drafting factsheets to gearing up frontline human rights defenders to engage directly with diplomats. Best Chitsanupong Nithiwana, Founder of Young Pride Foundation and trans woman human rights defender, put it best about activists coming together from across Thailand: “For too long, access to diplomats has been