Borders are supposed to protect. So why are human rights defenders still being hunted in exile? Human Rights Watch has noted that, “Thailand has become a ‘swap mart’ for dissidents across the region, where governments cooperate to target critics beyond their own borders.” This is transnational repression (TNR). When states reach across borders to surveil, intimidate, silence, detain, forcibly return, or even physically harm those who speak out. From digital surveillance and o

On 14th May 2024, Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom, a 28-year-old pro-democracy activist from Thailand and member of Thaluwang, died in custody while in pre-trial detention. She had been detained after her bail was revoked in a lèse-majesté (Section 112) case and had gone on hunger strike to protest the denial of bail and the imprisonment of political dissidents. Bung should still be here. She was not convicted. She was not sentenced. She was a young woman human rights defender d

When diplomatic pressure cancelled the world's leading digital rights forum, we made a choice: keep going. Join us for a critical conversation that was meant to take place in Zambia, now coming to you through a webinar. 🌐 How the UN Cybercrime Treaty is Advancing Transnational Repression in Southeast Asia 📅 Monday, 29 June 2026 📍 LIVE on Manushya’s Facebook and YouTube 🕝 2:15 - 3:45 PM Kathmandu 🕞 3:30 - 5:00 PM Bangkok 🕧 6:30 - 8:00 PM Naarm 🌏 Across Southeast Asia, g

✂️ On 10 May 2026, in Soi Ramkhamhaeng 53, Bangkok, an online controversy became offline violence. A trans woman known as “Madam Lor” was surrounded by a large, angry crowd after a dispute that reportedly began with criticism of transgender Muslim women wearing hijabs, then escalated over alleged offensive remarks about Islam during a livestream. A restaurant meeting meant to ease tensions quickly turned into public humiliation: under intense pressure, she was made to apologi

For over 80 years, a heavy veil of silence has covered one of the most brutal chapters of World War II: the systematic sexual enslavement of over 200,000 women and girls in Southeast Asia by the Japanese Imperial Army. They were euphemistically called “Comfort Women”, but there was NOTHING comforting about military sexual slavery. Many were teenagers who were abducted and brought to “comfort stations” where they were raped around the clock by soldiers in occupied territories.

We jumped on the Millennial vs Gen Z social media trend, because hey, we're a proudly intergenerational feminist team at Manushya. And as a team of decolonial and intersectional feminists at Manushya, we don’t see the Global North and Global South as just geography. We see them as lived realities shaped by privilege, marginalisation, and structural inequality. You can live in the North and experience the realities of the South through poverty and exclusion. You can also live

In a Devex article by Rebecca L. Root, Manushya’s Founder & Executive Director Emilie Palamy Pradichit reveals how the cuts gutted life-saving protection systems for the growing number of repressed activists and citizen journalists. “When the USAID funding cuts came in, it became a question of life or death. There were several activists, including citizen journalists, who we were not able to protect right away,” Emilie Palamy said. At Manushya, the suspension of US funding fo

🌐 A feminist digital future is possible, BUT only if it is rooted in justice. On 23 April, our Founder and Executive Director, Emilie Palamy Pradichit, spoke at the panel “Digital Rights, Gender Equity and Youth Protection in ASEAN’s Digital Transformation,” moderated by Angela Romano from the University of Queensland. As part of a leadership training for emerging Southeast Asian women leaders in digital transformation, the panel brought together feminist voices with one sha

In this interview, Saluai Hantale, a Chao Lay Indigenous woman activist from Koh Lipe and member of the Indigenous Women's Network of Thailand (IWNT) and Indigenous Women’s Association for Development (IWAD), speaks with Manushya about being sued for defending her community’s ancestral land. Koh Lipe is often seen as one of Thailand’s most beautiful island destinations. But behind the image of paradise, Chao Lay Indigenous sea peoples face land grabbing, blocked access to fis

This Friday, Meta will remove end-to-end encryption from Instagram DMs. Mark Zuckerberg's company said that this is due to low opt-in rates. It is true that Instagram was never built for private communications, but for activists, grassroots organisers, queer support networks, mutual aid groups, and community campaigns, Instagram IS the infrastructure. Telling people to "just move to Signal" ignores the fact that you cannot move a decade of community building overnight. The pe

A truly feminist Crimes Against Humanity Treaty must do more than name violence. It must change who gets to shape justice. ⚖️ At Women Deliver 2026, our Founder and Executive Director, Emilie Palamy Pradichit powerfully moderated the discussion, “Building the Vision: Feminist Pathways to a Crimes Against Humanity Treaty”. Emilie Palamy grounded the room in what is at stake: “This could become the first opportunity to challenge and confront colonialism within international cri

On 27 April, Manushya Foundation was honoured to join the King’s Day Reception at the invitation of H.E. Remco van Wijngaarden, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand. Manushya was represented by feminist activists Tanruthai Thanrut, our Admin and Finance Officer, and Jo Badong, our Communications Manager, in this celebration of togetherness and connection. As decolonial and intersectional feminists, our work challenging repression across borders and the shrinking of civic

Just days before it was due to begin in Lusaka and online, RightsCon 2026 was called off after Zambian authorities moved to “postpone” the conference, with officials citing the need for alignment with “national values,” policy priorities, and public interest considerations. RightsCon organizers later confirmed that the event would not proceed in Zambia or online and advised registered participants not to travel. We at Manushya Foundation are angered by this cancellation. For

On 29 April 2023, Anousa “Jack” Luangsuphom, a young Lao democracy activist speaking truth to power through online platforms like Power by Keyboard (ຂັບເຄື່ອນດ້ວຍຄີບອດ) 📱, was shot in the mouth and chest at point-blank range in a Vientiane café. Three years later, Lao authorities still deflect and hide behind convenient stories of “romantic” or “business” conflicts, while suspects walk free and no one has been held accountable. ⚖️❌ Let us be clear: this was not an isolated a

We’re so proud to be here at Women Deliver 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne), represented by our Founder and Executive Director Emilie Palamy Pradichit and our Programmes Manager Ester Pisey James. Day 1 of Women Deliver 2026 was already a beautiful reminder that feminist solidarity knows no borders. We were so glad to connect with fellow defenders from across the Global South: including LGBTIQ+ rights advocate Best from Young Pride Foundation (Young Pride Club), fierce feminist Rebe