Significant progress in recent advocacy efforts of the Cross Cultural Foundation was the growing support for the Amnesty Bill and the enforcement of the anti-torture act. In addition, in the peace process of South Thailand, the CrCF successfully lobbied for the inclusion of one expert from the Transitional Justice Asia Network (TJAN) to sit on the advisory committee for the peace talks. If successful in their implementation, the three measures would profoundly decrease the potential for more human rights violations across Thailand.
The progress followed public discussions, a video campaign, and closed-door meetings involving political parties and other stakeholders. Campaigns to pass the “people’s amnesty bill” aim to free thousands of people from various charges, mainly of insults against the government and the monarchy. The campaigns encouraged a safe space for diverse CSOs and political party members to discuss fundamental principles that all could agree on, and to explore potential pathways to restore democracy.
Among others, discussants shared how being charged led to depression among students and families. “It was necessary to sell personal property to fight the case,” one person said. Another said, “The government officials even threatened the students’ families, causing family conflicts. People have to come together and help raise money for bail in a short time. There is also the trick of government officials, detaining and taking our friends to remote areas so they cannot get help from other people and lawyers. Therefore, talking about an amnesty bill now is the most feasible thing every citizen can do to bring justice to all those affected by political crimes.”
Public screenings of videos included one titled “Thai State Violence: Torture and Enforced Disappearance by the Authorities”, shows the severe impact of state violence and the importance of accountability. Cross Cultural Foundation also held the event titled “Still Have a Heart to Dream: To reach 100,000 signatures for the People’s Amnesty Bill”, featuring the screening of the document: 1ary, “Red Poetry, Still Has the Heart to Dream: Life Diary during the Year 2021 of Ramil – Siwanchali Withanaswerewet”. He is an artist whose performance led to a lese majeste charge; in September 2024 an Appeals Court upheld an initial verdict to dismiss the charge, a rare ruling in such cases. In Chiang Mai, films touching on the impact of state violence were screened on 3-4 February 2024.
