Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund Prize for Outstanding Human Rights Defenders
On 11 July, Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund will give out Somchai Neelapaijit Award to honor and support outstanding human rights defenders. Dr Charnvit Kasetsiri, former Rector of Thammasat University, will be the President of the Ceremony.
This award has started with an open nomination of the general public. There were more than 20 individuals and organizations that were nominated for the award. The Committee of Somchai Neelapaijit Fund shortlisted five individuals out of which one will be given this award. The rest will be given certificates in recognition of their works. The five names include individuals and organizations that are known publicly as well as those who work behind the scene. They all have recognizable records in the fight for rights in the judicial system, labor rights, community rights, and others.
The winner of the award will be granted 50,000 Thai Baht, while those four other shortlisted individuals and organizations will receive 10,000 Thai Baht each.
The award-giving ceremony will happen on 11 July 2012 at 9.30am – 12.00pm at Conference Room, Fourth Floor, Thai Volunteer Service, Huay Kwang District, Bangkok.
The five shortlisted for the 2012 Somchai Neelapajit Award are:
1. Ms Jittra Kotchadej, labour rights and political rights activist
2. Mr Rasada Manurasada, human rights lawyer for victims of violence in Southern Thailand and in other parts of the country
3. Mr Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, labour rights activist and political activist (currently detained in prison)
4. Mr Adisorn Kerdmongkol, expert on the rights of migrant workers
5. Udon Thani Environment Group, grassroots network of villagers that are defending the community rights from potash mining Industry.
Jon Ungpakorn, a committee member and the founder of Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund, said that Thailand has been suffering from problems concerning human rights violations from both state agencies as well as from state mechanisms.
The five names that are shortlisted for this award are those who have fought to protect human rights bravely, vigorously, and at times they have put themselves in danger in order to defend human rights like the disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit. Somchai had fought on behalf of human rights principles until he was a victim of enforced disappearance. This award aims to honor and support human rights defenders who have dedicated their lives in working to protect human rights. It also aims to communicate to Thai society to recognize the important roles that these individuals/groups play as well as to shed light on the human rights problems in Thailand, he said.
The Fund was established in 2005 with 800,000 baht he received from the Magsaysay Award.
Apart from the ceremony, there will be a panel discussion on the topic of “The road of struggle and experiences of Thai human rights defenders” by all five shortlisted individuals as well as a closing remark by Dr Charnvit Kasetsiri.
Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund opened up the public nomination for individuals and organizations to nominate people and organizations from February to April 2012. There are 20 individuals and organizations that have been nominated. They represent broad and diverse groups of human right defenders ranging from those working on community development, volunteering, and combating injustice.
There are four criteria for the selection namely:
1) The recipient(s) of the award works to promote and protect the human rights on issues that are related to the public interest; 2) The recipient(s) has outstanding record;
3) The recipient(s) has not been given an award on human rights before;
4) The recipient(s) works on issue of human rights that is contemporary and still discussed in the society and he/she has risks from being attacked or violated for his/her /their human rights work.
Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund starts to give out Somchai Neelapaijit Award with the intention to honor and give support to those who play important roles and have dedicated themselves to promote and protect human rights in Thailand. The Fund also aims to provoke Thai society to see the importance and recognize the roles that human rights defenders play. The award is an open process whereby anyone can make nomination. This is the first year that the award is given out.
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Somyos is an overt criminal
Somyos is an overt criminal serving the interests of a mass murdering billionaire, a convicted criminal hiding in 5 star luxury in Dubai.
His publication of "Voice of Taksin" was used as a platform to violate the human rights of others - not protect them - including threatening the lives of judges and their families, advocating violence and social strife, and exploiting people for the agenda of a billionaire crook. What's that have to do with "human rights?" Clearly his "standing up" against LM has to do with Thaksin, just like the fraudulent Nitirat group.
His inclusion in this "award" is a joke, utterly undermining the legitimacy of both "human rights" and this Saward - created by Ungpakorn - ANOTHER Thaksin lackey found scuffling around just in arm's reach of Thaksin's corporate lobbyist Robert Amsterdam ...
Here we have Somyos' "Voice of Taksin" having "nothing to do with Thaksin."
Thaksin's lobbyist having "nothing to do with Nitirat."
Jai Ungkaporn having "nothing to do with Thaksin lobbyist Robert Amsterdam."
Somyos "defending human rights" by threatening the lives of people, officials, and judges throughout Thai society. A crime punishable by decades in jail in ANY country...
What a disgraceful joke. And Jittra is a piece of human trash also - not only serving as a tool for Western interests through fake human rights advocacy like Prachatai - but also advocating the snuffing out of unborn children - again running completely contra to "human rights." Yes, abortion is murder - science says so.
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/abortion-is-killing.html
Where are people actually working to advance the human condition in a positive light - without nefariously couching a hidden agenda behind the concept of human rights?
My mistake - Jon Ungkaporn
My mistake - Jon Ungkaporn created this ridiculous, demeaning award - his brother is the one shining Robert Amsterdam's shoes - they work as a tandem pair but it was still a mistake on my behalf nonetheless.
PS Jon Ungkaporn also created Prachatai - although he has distanced himself from it - he is still obviously working toward the same pro-Western, corporate-financier elitist agenda, and still working to undermine and overthrow Thailand's institutions in favor of those of Wall Street and London.
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2012/01/us-funded-rights-advocate-censoring.html
I spoke with Jon Ungkaporn over both Prachatai hiding its foreign funding from its readers AND Prachatai's censorship...
It's excellent to see the
It's excellent to see the privileged standing up on the right side of the human rights issue and against the authoritarian state - above all recognizing and standing with the self-actualizing individuals with the courage to actually act on their own, who are unsung and punished for their efforts, just as are those of the 112 Victims Network.
The country is full of groups of cowards, the courageous people must act all alone.
There are five honorees, the one chosen for "the award" will have been an arbitrary choice, fitting the criteria the judges themselves wish to promote, but all five and many other Thais acting as individuals and summoning the courage of their convictions, downtrodden and punished rather than lauded for their efforts, are equally deserving of all of our respect, and are heroes and heroines as well.
These are not heroes - one is
These are not heroes - one is an overt lackey of a billionaire mass murderer who was himself a rampant trampler of human rights during his reign in office. 2,500 people MASS MURDERED without charge, trial, or arrest - simply put on a hit list and murdered in the streets - many of whom were found to have been absolutely innocent of even the bogus, trumped up excuse (drug dealing) that was used to justify this mass murder and crime against humanity.
Somyos being on this list illustrates just how the elite - you JFL are trying to defend - are abusing and destroying the legitimacy of "human rights."
Jittra's nomination also boggles the mind - as she believes murdering unborn children for the economic convenience of society - ridding society of so-called "undesirables" is acceptable social practice. Biology says abortion is the killing of a human life - even a veteran pro-choicer will admit this - so how are you defending human rights by violating the most clear-cut fundamental right of all? The right to life and self-determination of your own self-worth???
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/abortion-is-killing.html
I can't help but point out how nearly everyone on this list, including the people who created this list, not to mention those celebrating this list, are exemplary of not "human right advocates" but craven elitist scum.
This article illustrates part of the problem, not the solution.
There are four criteria for
Rights lawyer wins Somchai Neelaphaijit Award
Why bother to have (and to publicize!) criteria if you're going to ignore them?
It was a toss up to award this prize, all five should have been equally honored. I think the judges lacked the backbone to honor Somyos.
The Bangkok Post could not even bring themselves to admit that it was Somyos and not his wife, equally deserving in my book, who was nominated for the award.
This picking one from five plays right into the hands of the braindead media. They play it like a beauty contest, All of these people are heroes and equally deserving of our respect and gratitude.
My question to poster "Tony"
My question to poster "Tony" would be, in contrast to the nominees, what have you done for the people of Thailand?
Yeah - JFL the judges lacked
Yeah - JFL the judges lacked the backbone to "honor" Somyos - a criminal rotting in jail for publishing the "Voice of Taksin" on behalf of a mass murdering billionaire - Thaksin Shinawatra, the antithesis of human rights and progress, a paragon of elitism....
Somyos' publication, "Voice of Taksin" regularly featured threats of violence directed at judges ruling against billionaire criminal Thaksin Shinawatra, including the publication of judges' addresses and personal information, thus putting their families and friends at risk as well. Intimidation of the judiciary not only is a violation of human rights, it betrays the concepts of a functioning representative government built upon a foundation of "rule of law."
Shame on you Prachatai, shame on you JFL for your tireless propaganda and desperate attempts at manufacturing artificial consensus.
To answer D - you'd be surprised and also ashamed.
Hey Tony, thing is, I
Hey Tony, thing is, I actually know the work you've done. Likewise, there are others in Thailand too (Thais and foreigners alike), who are trying to do what they can for Thai people.
And you think I'd be ashamed? As in I should be ashamed to have questioned your greatness, oh great, generous one? You sound like you think so highly of yourself, and you probably do.
You can continue thinking you have some kind of moral superiority over everyone else, and that you're the only one who is always right, always taking every opportunity to criticize everyone (unfairly too). Take a look at yourself in the mirror sometimes, you might find the experience humbling.
Also interesting to note that
Also interesting to note that you take liberty to post so many comments on sites such as this one, but disable the comments section on your own blog. Afraid of getting a taste of your own medicine, Tony? :)