Stop criminalization and intimidation against the Thai youth!
by La Via Campesina
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
Stop criminalization and intimidation against the Thai youth!
Detention without trial and denial of bail is injustice! Youths have
the right to determine their country’s future!
Protest letter sent by La Via Campesina to the government of Thailand
after the detention and imprisonment of young pro-democracy activists.
*To the Prime Minister, The Government of Thailand*
*To the President, the Supreme Court of Thailand*
We, La Via Campesina, the international peasant movement, express our
deep concern about the ongoing intimidation, detention and
criminalization of young activists and peasant leaders who took part in
Thailand’s pro-democracy and peasants’ rights movements.
We are informed that at least 20 young people were detained without
trial for their engagement in the political actions to demand democracy
and monarchy reform. These young people now face hefty charges of
sedition, cybercrime, lèse-majesté and violating the emergency decree.
At the time of issuing this letter, these young people have not been
granted the right to bail. Three detained young people are on hunger
strike. Two of them are young women who stopped eating for more than 50
days.
Detention without trial, denial of the right to bail, and intimidation
are essentially the strategy that authoritarian governments use to
create fear among the young activists to silence and suppress them. We
see these also happen worldwide, in other struggles and daily lives of
peasants and working people.
Among the detained is Ms Katanyu Muenkhamruang, imprisoned two weeks
ago. Katanyu is a youth leader who participates in Assembly of the Poor
(AOP) activities. AOP is a member organization of La Via Campesina in
Thailand. She is an alumna of the Florestan Fernandes National School
for youth leaders of the Landless People Movement (MST) and a member of
La Via Campesina in Brazil. She also joined the First La Via Campesina
Asian Youth Meeting some years ago. Like other young political
prisoners, her right to bail has been repeatedly denied.
Furthermore, we also received the news that Ms Nisapun Muenram, the
youth representative of the Assembly of the Poor (AOP) in La Via
Campesina’s Asia Youth Collective, was intimidated by the police. The
police went to Ms Nisapun’s home, citing her participation in the
protest on July 27th, demanding the right to bail for the young
political dissidents. Although she is safe now, she is at risk because
of such intimidation tactics.
The youth, keepers of our future, has the righteousness and rightfulness
to participate in political actions to determine and realize a socially
just world. As a global movement for food sovereignty and peasants’
rights, we condemn the criminalization and intimidation against the
young people in Thailand.
La Via Campesina would also like to express our solidarity with the
brave young people in Thailand. They are not alone in their struggle.
There are countless youth and movements in many parts of the globe who
share the same dreams to transform the world for the better.
La Via Campesina calls on the Government and the Supreme Court of
Thailand to stop criminalization and intimidation against the youths and
ensure their unconditional release. Dissent is not a crime.
We demand safe public spaces for the people of Thailand, including the
youth, to express their right to freedom of opinion and expression. We
stand by the people’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and
association, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people in
rural areas (UNDROP). The government should protect and uphold these
human rights so that these youths can build the future of their society
and their country.
*Bagnolet, France*
*La Via Campesina*
*03 August 2022*
For any questions, please write to press(a)viacampesina.org <mailto:For
any questions, please write to press(a)viacampesina.org>
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2022, July | Social Media NewsWrap: LVC members worldwide
by La Via Campesina
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
July Newswrap | LVC
Subscribe [1] | Donate [2]
JULY SOCIAL MEDIA NEWSWRAP: LVC MEMBERS WORLDWIDE
_Starting this month, we will release a monthly newswrap of updates and
articles posted by the members of La Via Campesina on various social
media platforms. Here are the updates from July!_
-------------------------
It is a crucial time for land workers to influence food and farming
policy in the UK. Across Scotland, Wales and England, new legislation is
reforming agricultural subsidy schemes and laying the institutional and
legal foundations for transforming our food and farming systems. In
August, LVC member the LandWorkers' Alliance will host an online
workshop [3] on _How To Lobby For Good Food And Farming Policy_. They
will also discuss subsidy reform and food legislation in England,
Scotland and Wales.
On similar lines, CNA is accompanying concrete measures in Portugal,
where it has been assisting the farming sector in the allocation of
public aid [4] as a result of the increase in energy and fertilizer
prices, with a strong impact on the country's agricultural activity.
Owners of poultry farms and those producing cow's milk can contact a CNA
agency until August 12.
In Kenya, the Kenyan peasant League [5] (KPL) conducted a two-day
formation session with women on land rights and the impact of
micro-credit. Through crowdfunding, the KPL Women's Collective also
secured the resources to buy about 1.8 Hectares of land for women
affected by gender-based violence and land-grabbing. The women will use
the land as a safe haven to organize, farm, and live.
In Brazil, Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - MAB organized a
roundtable [6] where the participants discussed the challenges of the
struggle and popular organization in the Amazon region.
In South Korea, the KWPA Sisters' Garden [7] uses its Facebook page to
promote agroecological products to a broader set of consumers in the
neighbourhood.
The Korean Peasant League also informs about a public demonstration by
farmers against the CPTPP trade deal.
In India, Amritabhoomi, the agroecological peasant school in Karnataka,
uses its Facebook page to provide the latest updates from the Namdu
Farmers' Cooperative [8]. The cooperative sells agroecological produce
to consumers in the locality. A similar initiative is being promoted by
MODEF in France, which is organizing this August 18 the sale of 25 tons
of fruits and vegetables [9], transported from Tarn et Garonne and
Hérault to Paris Place de la Bastille, Val de Marne and Hauts de Seine
in support of family farmers.
Visura Media, a community web-cast run by the members of MONLAR in
Srilanka, informs us about the scale of environmental destruction [10]
in rural and coastal Srilanka. They also recently organized a
residential media training program [11] to strengthen young people's
digital participation and media competencies. MONLAR also posted updates
early this month about the wild elephant attack on farms in the Thalawa
river Siripura area of the Anuradhapura district.
In Peru, peasant and indigenous organizations, some of which are part of
LVC, presented to President Pedro Castillo a Second Agrarian Reform Law
Project [12]. It is a document prepared by the grassroots of the
movement after a series of decentralized events called the Second
Agrarian Reform Summit, promoted by the same organizations to gather the
main needs and demands of the rural milieu. During the presentation, the
peasants pointed out to the President that "no Peruvian has to die in a
country of peasants".
>From Paraguay, an statement signed by the organizations CLOC LVC and the
National Organization of Independent Aborigines (ONAI) [13], alerted us
about the continuity of land evictions promoted by the Government. This
time, the indigenous community Hugua Po'i a Mbya Guaraní, is fighting to
return to their ancestral lands from which they were evicted last year.
The organizations are demanding the repeal of the Zavala-Riera Law,
which criminalizes peasant struggles and has currently affected more
than 3,000 peasant and indigenous families.
In Panama, a national mobilization since the beginning of July has kept
the whole country in tension, as a confluence of social organizations,
among them peasants and indigenous peoples [14], protested energetically
against the increase in the price of fuel and food. So far a dialogue
table has been set up with the government to meet the demands raised by
the organizations, the private sector has criticized this initiative.
Brazil hosted the 2nd National Women's School of La Via Campesina [15],
where 60 women from different states participated. This is part of a
great legacy of political formation promoted by the peasant movement
inspired by LVC and its principles. One of the agreements of this event
was to change the official name to Feminist School of LVC Brazil, to
promote Peasant and Popular Feminism as a political tool born from the
movement.
In France, Confederation Paysanne issued a press release [16] that
brought attention to the falling prices of organic milk. In Romania, Eco
Ruralis [17] participated in making a new documentary film, _"Green
Revolution | Europe, a confused continent"_, by the TV station ARTE. The
members explained the effects of social inequity created by the
distribution of agricultural subsidies, which end up overwhelmingly in
the pockets of big companies.
In Brazil too MST and allies are promoting the broadcasting of a film on
seeds this August 4th, in an agroecological store in Rio de Janeiro
[18]. The film aims to of bring the debate on agrarian reform to the
population.
The Union Paysanne [19] also threw us a teaser of a
documentary-in-the-making, slated for release in the fall season in
Canada. The Women Caucus [20] of the National Farmers' Union in Canada
is putting together a multi-media campaign to highlight farmers whose
gender identities are under-represented in the agricultural field.
The Indonesia Peasants' Union - Serikat Petani Indonesia - has posted an
update [21] about an agrochemical firm allegedly poisoning the farms
that are part of the Union's agrarian reform struggles. A similar alert
was issued by Mocase [22], our member in Argentina when a large farm's
fumigation action was poisoning the water that runs through the Miquilo
Canal. Mocase reminds us that the herbicide is prohibited throughout the
national territory, yet the farm owner turns deaf ears to the
legislation on the use of agro toxics.
In another disturbing update, the Assembly of Poor in Thailand has
issued alerts about the arrest of a young peasant leader who was part of
the pro-democracy movement in the country. As per the latest update, she
has been denied bail by the court. The movement members are calling for
attention [23] to the cases of illegal detention of democracy activists.
_Have we missed an important update? If so, please email us the links
to the news item __, which we will include in the next edition. Only
Updates from La Via Campesina members will be part of this news wrap._
CHECK OUT THE ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE, PUBLISHED THIS JULY [24], THAT
ELABORATES DIFFERENT INITIATIVES INSIDE THE GLOBAL PEASANT MOVEMENT.
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Links:
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[1] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en
[2] https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/viacampesina
[3]
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/workshop-how-to-lobby-for-good-food-and-fa...
[4]
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Finforcna.pt%2Fpost%2Fmedidas...
[5]
https://www.facebook.com/susan.owiti.33/posts/pfbid0ZsMoJLykQAKck5N6Tuj92...
[6] https://www.facebook.com/mabbrasil/
[7]
https://www.facebook.com/kwpasistersgarden/photos/a.1427976320831916/2799...
[8] https://www.facebook.com/AmritaBhoomi/
[9]
https://www.facebook.com/modefnational/photos/a.305589392938796/225258702...
[10] https://www.facebook.com/VisuraMedia/videos/1787128838285454
[11]
https://www.facebook.com/monlarsrilanka/posts/pfbid02udr2WjHczYVikFrYvLQN...
[12]
https://www.cna.org.pe/organizaciones-agrarias-ronderos-presentan-al-ejec...
[13]
https://cloc-viacampesina.net/comunicado-situacion-hugua-poi-paraguay
[14]
https://cloc-viacampesina.net/comunicado-de-solidaridad-con-el-hermano-pu...
[15]
https://viacampesina.org/es/brasil-mujeres-de-la-via-campesina-realizan-e...
[16] http://www.confederationpaysanne.fr/rp_article.php?id=12684
[17]
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecoruralis.ro%2F2022%2F0...
[18] https://www.instagram.com/p/CghxxeOJSDD/
[19]
https://www.facebook.com/unionpaysanne/posts/pfbid0JZvCdU18UCYcDT9rEQTkYE...
[20]
https://www.facebook.com/nfuCanada/posts/pfbid02XQjHtSPvWydsChv3JN4g5wQ93...
[21]
https://www.facebook.com/serikat.petani.indonesia/photos/a.10151352964046...
[22] https://www.facebook.com/330273990335378/videos/348233944154983
[23]
https://www.facebook.com/annelapapan.supamanta.37/posts/pfbid0z6g7EGuef8D...
[24] https://viacampesina.org/en/2022/07/
[25] http://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/via_campesina
[26] http://www.facebook.com/ViaCampesinaOfficial
[27] http://www.viacampesina.org
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