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Refusing to Be Silenced: Southern Voices Rise Ahead of Thailand’s UPR IV
- Manushya Foundation
- 58 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Regional UPR IV Capacity-Building Workshop for Southern Thailand
HAT YAI, THAILAND – On 11-12 November 2025, Manushya Foundation, together with Young Pride Foundation, the People’s Movement to Eliminate Discrimination (MovED), LBT Wellbeing, and the Thai Coalition for the UPR, successfully hosted its second Regional UPR IV Capacity-Building Workshop.
This marked the second step in a nationwide collective journey of four regional workshops taking place between October 2025 and January 2026. The series aims to bring together activists, youth, and community leaders from every region of the country to strengthen their participation in Thailand’s upcoming Fourth Universal Period Review (UPR IV).
This time, we gathered 100 participants from across Southern Thailand, including courageous activists from Pattani and representatives of the Mani, Moklen, Moken and Urak Lawoi indigenous communities. Among them, 42 identified as women (including one transgender woman), 53 as men, and two as queer. Overall, six participants identified as LGBTQIA+, and 19 people explicitly self-identified as belonging to an Indigenous community or ethnic minority.
Why the UPR?
The UPR is a unique human rights protection mechanism under the United Nations that requires states to periodically undergo a comprehensive review of their human rights record, every 4.5 years. It is also one of the most inclusive review processes, as it promotes the democratisation of participation by providing an opportunity for civil society, grassroots movements and communities to share their lived realities directly with diplomats and the international community.
As Thailand’s UPR IV will take place on 10 November 2026 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Manushya Foundation and its partners remain fully committed to amplifying grassroots voices and establishing new routine practices that normalise community engagement with UN mechanisms.
In line with this mission, the two-day workshop aimed to support participants’ meaningful and inclusive engagement in Thailand’s UPR IV by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, strategies, and tools.
Two Days of Collective Strength and Solidarity
On 11 November, the workshop opened with remarks from representatives of our partner organisations, including Best Chitsanupong Nithiwana (Founder & Executive Director of Young Pride Foundation), Waranya Prasert (MovED), and Oranong Chanasit (LBT Wellbeing). This time, we were honoured to welcome all members of Manushya Foundation’s Board, each of whom shared powerful messages of solidarity: Sirisak Ton Chaited, Asmah Tanyondga-oh, Nittaya Muangklang, and Katima Leeja.
“Whether the UPR has limitations or not, what is built into our minds is respect for other people's issues and our connection as human beings.” - Asmah Tanyondga-oh, Manushya Foundation Board Member
Following this collective opening, Emilie Palamy Pradichit, Founder and Executive Director of Manushya Foundation, introduced participants to the UPR and explained its significance as an instrument that ensures equality of voices. It was explained how this UN mechanism provides a unique avenue for Pattani people, Malays, southern border communities, and other marginalised ethnic groups who have long been assimilated and silenced, to make their voices heard globally and demand dignity, justice, and the right to determine one’s own future. Emilie was supported by Best in her role as facilitator, who enriched the discussions by sharing her own UPR experience and insights.
This first day was charged with solidarity and shared struggle, with participants uniting around the calls for #FreePalestine and #SaveMayu. Indeed, among the participants was Mayu Chena, who could only attend the first day before being forced to stand trial in Pattani alongside eight fellow activists, simply for honouring his heritage and proudly asserting his Malay identity. Participants stood in solidarity with Mayu around the #SaveMayu and #NoSLAPP campaign.
“Change starts in small spaces, and it starts with standing together like this.” - Mayu Chena, Nusantara Foundation
To see more pictures of day 1, access our blog ‘#PeoplePower #UPRThailand 📣 Our second UPR Capacity-Building Workshop is in full force!📣’, available here.
On 12 November, the second day shifted towards practice, beginning with a technical session on how to draft UPR thematic submissions. Participants then organically divided into 12 thematic groups, mirroring the structure of the previous Bangkok workshop, and worked together on the following critical human rights issues in Thailand:
Rights of drug users;
Rights of persons with disabilities and state welfare;
Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
Rights of sex workers;
Rights of people living with HIV, AIDS and sexual diversity;
Right to natural resources and the environment;
Access to justice;
Civil rights and political rights in the Pattani area;
Right to farmland and housing;
Labour rights;
Youth Rights;
Enforcement of the UN Convention against Torture and the UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance.
Following the framework provided that day, each group was able to identify key issues, draft preliminary recommendations, and present them to the rest of the participants.
"'The state takes the forest but not the people. Areas that the state wants to develop for tourism have become areas where villagers are continually being evicted. The lives of indigenous people are extremely fragile.” - Naowwanit Chaemphit, Moken Indigenous Woman
No Resistance Without Rest
As during our Bangkok workshop, wellbeing and self-care activities remained crucial. Thanks to our partner LBT Wellbeing, participants could use Tibetan singing bowls, traditional Thai massage tools, and a cocoa-making station as therapeutic grounding throughout the whole workshop. Furthermore, a white cloth invited everyone to express themselves freely and write a message about what they wished to do or relive in their lives after the workshop.
These wellbeing spaces reminded everyone that activism cannot thrive without care, rest, and collective healing.
To see more pictures of our decolonial wellness activities, access our blog ‘💖 Feminist Resistance Through Rest: Manushya's Decolonial Wellbeing Session’, available here.
Continuing the UPR Journey Together
As our second workshop successfully concluded, Manushya Foundation would like to thank once again all the partners that made this possible and were fundamental in building a safe, inclusive, and impactful workshop. We are grateful to all of our Board Members, whose presence and energy were vital to the training, and to every participant who joined us, making this workshop a truly fulfilling and memorable experience.
We also thank those who could not attend in person but continue to support our advocacy work virtually.We are honored to stand alongside communities as they speak their truth to power and shed light on what’s really happening in Thailand and we look forward to continuing this journey for human rights across
the country.
“We don't just want a report submitted to the United Nations; we want the voices of local people to be heard on the global stage, and our struggles to connect with movements for justice everywhere in the world.” - Emilie Palamy Pradichit
Want to see more moments from the workshop?
Check out Manushya’s social media for more photos and highlights from each day!
