Criminalization of Indigenous Peoples and Land Rights Defenders

The government’s flawed solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change only exacerbate the situation: indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities are being criminalized, jailed, and evicted from their lands in the name of forest reclamation.[2] Greenwashing schemes such as carbon markets and carbon credit are underway and unsustainable energy projects such as hydropower dams destroy the environment, and livelihoods of communities domestically and abroad.[3]

 

Nittaya Muangklang, Community Leader representing the 14 Sab Wai villagers criminalized under Thailand’s false climate solutions said in this regard: “the Government still prioritizes the role of corporations in managing the resources. This means resources are taken away from communities that are best placed to manage them. We want communities living in the forest to be the ones in charge of resource management, as we protect the forest, we don’t destroy it. And its budget should be allocated to the people, not corporations.”

 

There can’t be a Just Transition and Climate Justice without Human Rights Protection

Human Rights Must Be Front and Center in Climate Action. The Declaration emphasizes the need to center human rights in all climate action on the national and international levels, with effective protection for climate and environmental human rights defenders who are the catalysts of the Just Transition. The youth climate human rights defender Khairiyah Rahmanyah, ‘Daughter of the Sea’, known for her fight to #SaveChana Southern community from the large-scale Chana Industrial Estate that would pollute their air and damage their health, added: 

 

“We fight for a clean environment, for the climate, for our health and livelihoods. But the people in power keep ignoring us and make decisions about us, without us. My community has been deceived, criminalized, harassed. That’s why we go to the streets and protest. If our fundamental rights were respected, we wouldn’t have to. If the right to breathe clean air is a fundamental right, we shouldn’t have to ask for it. But why are we?”

 

Katima Leeja, Lisu indigenous woman, member of the Indigenous Women’s Network of Thailand emphasized the commonality of our fight for climate justice: “It is true that the consequences of climate change are most hard felt by the most marginalized. But if the climate situation gets worse, it will get worse for everyone (also the developed countries) as that’s specifically why, now more than ever, we must all collaborate to come up with a common solution.”

 

“We urge the Thai government, companies, and all actors involved in addressing the climate crisis to be inspired by our People’s Declaration as we put forward the key demands of the #WeAreJustTransition Movement. Its members, the people on the ground, human rights defenders, and activists, are the real experts holding community-driven solutions to tackle climate change and roll out effective climate action. It’s about time for the Just Transition Movement to be led by women, indigenous peoples, feminists, and affected communities if we truly want to meet the targets set forward by the Paris Climate Agreement,” concluded Nada Chaiyajit, Manushya Foundation’s Human Rights Campaign Advisor.

 

The People’s Declaration was presented during the press conference ‘There Will Be No Just Transition Without Us’, held in Elizabeth Hotel in Bangkok on 18 November 2022. Nada Chaiyajit moderated the session and set the context of the establishment of the Just Transition Movement. Prominent speakers included:

• Krisada Boonchai,  Coordinator of the Thai Climate Justice for All;

• Khairiyah Rahmanyah, ‘Daughter of the Sea’, youth environmental human rights defender, #SaveChana;

• Nittaya Muangklang, Woman Human Rights Defender and Community Leader from Sai Thong Rak Pah Network, #SaveSabWaiVillagers;

• Anchalee Ismanyee, #SaveBangkloi Coalition Leader & Activist;

• Naree Wongsachon, Indigenous Woman Human Rights Defender representing Southern indigenous peoples and Chowlay Andaman Network;

• Katima Leeja, Indigenous Woman Human Rights Defender representing Northern Lisu indigenous peoples and the Indigenous Women’s Network of Thailand (IWNT), including anti-mining #SaveOmkoi;

• Direk Hamnakorn, Human Rights Defender leading the Green World Network, #SaveThepa;

• Natthaphong Kaewnuan, Environmental Human Rights Defender.

 

Access the recording of the event in EN here and in TH here.
 

For media enquiries, please contact: 

• (EN) Emilie Pradichit, Founder & Executive Director, Manushya Foundation, emilie@manushyafoundation.org 

• (TH) Nada Chaiyajit, Human Rights Campaign Advisor, Manushya Foundation,  nada@manushyafoundation.org 

• (TH) Pranaiya Panthanuwong, Project Assistant, Thai Climate Justice for All, pantha.prim@gmail.com