Healing invisible scars in Thailand’s besieged Deep South 

Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, but its Deep South region is primarily Muslim and ethnically Malay, with a unique cultural heritage that distinguishes it from the rest of the country. 

Yet this rich history is marred by conflict between the Thai government and Malay Muslim separatists. 

October 2024 marked 20 years since one of the deadliest incidents in this conflict.

The Tak Bai Massacre

On 25 October 2004, police and soldiers shot dead 7 Malay Muslims at a protest outside a police station in Tak Bai, South Thailand.

They stacked over 1,000 others – ‘like bricks’, in the words of one survivor – into trucks to take them to an army camp, resulting in 78 more deaths. 

‘People were treated as if they were not human… Tak Bai is the state’s most painful lesson. It is the worst in history.’

– Brother of a man killed in the Tak Bai Massacre (speaking in 2024)

The Tak Bai Massacre poured petrol over an already volatile situation.

Since then, the region has seen over:

7,500 deaths

14,000 injuries

22,000 violent incidents

And it’s civilians who are paying the price.

‘Special laws’ grant sweeping powers to the military and police in the region, including the authority to detain people without charge, conduct searches without warrants, and impose curfews. 

Police frequently target individuals based on their ethnicity, religion, or perceived affiliations, including through arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and murder.

They even randomly sample residents’ DNA – including the DNA of children – and threaten to plant it at crime scenes.

‘When shootings or bombings occur, the authorities use that as an excuse to increase the intimidation of arrest and DNA planting to arrest the residents in the South.’ 

– Duay Jai (ARTICLE 19 subgrantee)

Understandably, these violations have exacerbated existing tensions and deepened mistrust between the state and local communities. 

They also have a chilling effect, discouraging people from speaking out against injustice – and when they do speak out, they are often swiftly punished.

Like Roning Dolah: a brave human rights defender killed on 25 June 2024.

Roning was shot outside his home in Pattani, a Deep South province plagued by unrest, by 2 people in dark clothing on a motorcycle. 

The much-loved activist was known for opening his home to youth affected by violence, many of whom regarded him as family. 

ARTICLE 19 kept Roning’s legacy alive by supporting the community organisation he founded, Duay Jai, throughout 2024.

Our grant helped Duay Jai to continue its vital work: monitoring violations, assisting victims and their families, liaising between armed groups and the government, and ensuring Malay Muslim minorities have a voice in the peace process. 

‘There is no room for the right to freedom of expression if there is no space within the system to have a conversation to address the atrocities we witness regularly.’ 

– Duay Jai

Decades of conflict in the region have left deep psychological scars: depression, anxiety, and PTSD are rife. Yet cultural stigma against mental ill-health leaves many survivors suffering in silence. 

That’s why Duay Jai also provides mental health support expertly tailored to victims’ needs – including access to a rare Malay-speaking psychologist. 

We also supported the Network of Victims of the Emergency Law (JASAD) to provide group therapy for survivors of torture and forced disappearance.

JASAD creates a safe space for survivors and their families to share their experiences, express their emotions, and support one another to heal. 

The leader of JASAD has himself been subjected to torture, so he is intimately familiar with its impacts – and with how to move from surviving to thriving.

‘It is hard to believe that someone will care about whether you live or die after abduction by the State. Only another person who has been through that can understand that. It is important to be surrounded by people who understand your deepest traumas to learn how to live with that.’ 

– JASAD

In this ravaged region, these small organisations provide life-saving support to the people who most need it – when they most need it. 

But they’re not stopping there.

They’re taking their fight for justice, accountability, and dignity all the way to the UN.

And ARTICLE 19 is supporting them every step of the way.

From local activism to global advocacy

In October 2024 – the 20th anniversary of the Tak Bai Massacre – the UN reviewed Thailand’s progress under the Convention Against Torture (UNCAT). 

ARTICLE 19 seized the opportunity, training around 70 leaders of small nonprofits on how to use UNCAT to advocate for their rights.

These leaders returned home to share their knowledge with their communities, including in the Deep South, spreading the word and scaling our impact. 

And we supported grassroots groups – including Duay Jai – to speak truth directly to power at the UN in Geneva. 

They told us that engaging with an international body like the UN made them feel less alone. 

‘We must live between the large forces against each other…’

– Duay Jai 

Too often, the people of Thailand’s Deep South are an afterthought, forced to live amid the violence perpetrated by two bigger forces. 

The Malay people have a saying: 

Gajah berjuang sama gajah, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah

(When elephants fight each other, the mouse-deer dies in the middle)

But that’s not the only story told about the mouse-deer.

He commonly crops up in folk tales across the region – and in these stories, his size is not a weakness; it is his strength. He is David; his oppressors, Goliath. His small stature enables his escape. 

The story isn’t over until the mouse-deer runs free.

From painting to poetry, from sculpture to samba, and from textiles to techno, creative expression is fundamental to the human experience. 

Art is personal. 

When we’re lost, it throws us a lifeline, a compass, and a map. When we feel alone, it’s the voice that whispers: me, too. On dark nights of the soul, it’s the beacon that lights our way.

Art is political. 

It holds up a mirror to our societies. It demands to be seen, heard, and felt. It equips us to write a new narrative, imagine a fairer future, and craft a better world. 

Art is powerful. 

That’s why authoritarian leaders try to crush it.

And it’s why we won’t let them.

‘Art is dangerous because art doesn’t accept any kind of regulation’

– Ai Weiwei (Chinese artist and activist)

Brazil

The art of resistance

‘As artists we need to be heard, since we are also part of this territory. These people are the reason why the Amazon is still standing.’

– Mina Ribeirinha (artist & founder of Tinte Preta and Pai D’Égua collectives)

As a result of ARTICLE 19’s work in Brazil, artists are better protected, activists are getting creative, and policymakers are moving to protect artistic expression. 

‘Art itself is a form of resistance… Culture leads to knowledge, and the more people have this knowledge, the more they will fight for their rights.

– May Sodré (Pai D’Égua Hip-Hop Collective)

In May 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held public hearings in Manaus, Brazil, on the climate crisis. 

In addition to our formal contribution, we organised a side event starring women artists from the Amazon, who used hip-hop and graffiti art to call for climate action.

‘I use dance to express my identity, my territory, where I come from, and to talk about the climate situation, which affects me directly.’

– Thaysa Magalhães (B-girl, Pai D’Égua Hip-Hop Collective)

In September, we published a new report setting out why artistic freedom is a fundamental human right, how it is being attacked worldwide, and what must be done to protect it.

The report was the culmination of discussions at a workshop that we co-organised with the Brazilian government, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and civil society.

At that workshop, the IACHR Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights committed to developing regional standards to protect artistic expression.

We also helped marginalised artists to navigate the bureaucratic hurdles that stand between them and sustainable funding, including by facilitating dialogues between congresswomen and arts collectives. 

And we helped persecuted creatives to flee danger and reach a safe haven – like the São Paulo artist repeatedly threatened by military police, whose evacuation we supported in May 2024.

Malaysia

The art of empathy

‘Who determines the borders that separate us as humans that bleed the same colour, breathe the same air, and have the same need for love and belonging?’

– Amy Dangin (Borneo Speaks)

In Malaysia, ARTICLE 19’s #CubaDengarDulu (Listen First) campaign empowers marginalised youth to creatively challenge hate speech.

By providing young people with the space and resources to express themselves, we equipped them to create art that fosters empathy, sparks conversation, and offers diverse perspectives on Malaysian social issues.

Like Borneo Speaks: a collective of women artists and writers in Sabah, Malaysia.

Borneo Speaks attended our training on hate speech in 2023, planting a seed of change that blossomed in 2024.

They went on to organise their own series of workshops for fellow creatives in Sabah, where they explored how telling their own stories, in their own way, could challenge discrimination.

These conversations formed the basis of Storytelling for Social Change: a citizen media toolkit in which the collective shared their learnings with the wider community.

‘With this toolkit, our aspiration is to inspire folks to tell stories that we rarely hear about; and to affect social change in that way.’

– Borneo Speaks

With the support of ARTICLE 19, Borneo Speaks also produced a documentary about stateless women and articles on hate speech and Sabahan identity.

Freedom to protest is fundamental to freedom of expression. 

Protest is a fundamental right and a vital means for people to make their voices heard, demand justice, and shape the societies they live in.

When people come together to express dissent or call for change, they exercise the power at the heart of democracy – and the power of our voices can change the hearts and minds of millions.

Yet worldwide, governments are silencing dissent, attacking those who march, and preventing us from coming together.

That’s why ARTICLE 19 is campaigning to ensure all people, especially those who bear the brunt of discrimination, are #FreeToProtest

UN

Progress on protecting protesters worldwide

In summer 2024, we celebrated 2 protest wins at the UN:

• A new expert report included our contributions on police violence against LGBTQI+ protesters
• A new resolution reflected our calls for authorities not to use biometric technologies or deploy the army during protests.

Amplifying the voices of Belarusian human rights defenders 

Throughout 2024, ARTICLE 19 also worked with our local partners to amplify the voices of prosecuted and jailed activists, calling on the international community – particularly at the UN – to take concrete and decisive actions.

In March and September, together with partners, we delivered statements at the UN Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogues, once again highlighting the case of prominent human rights defender Nasta Lojka.

Nasta has been treated brutally behind bars: denied medication, warm clothes, and proper nutrition. During one of her many interrogations, police told her she would be ‘forgotten’. 

She will not.

ARTICLE 19 will continue to demand justice for Nasta – and for the 1,300+ other political prisoners in Belarus – until all human rights defenders walk free.

Poland: New government, new protest protections?

The populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which ruled Poland with an iron fist from 2015–23, waged a campaign against women’s and LGBTQI+ rights.

But at the end of 2023, following record election turnout, a new government took the reins. 

ARTICLE 19 and our local partners seized the opportunity to protect protesters: presenting our own manifesto, setting out the legal reforms needed, and urging the Prime Minister to amend the Act on Assemblies. 

The government agreed that the law requires urgent reform and encouraged our participation in the process, set to commence later in 2025. 

This is a huge achievement compared with the previous government’s refusal to engage. We stand ready to work with police and policymakers to restore public trust and protect the right to protest.

Thailand: Supporting the next generation of protesters

Thailand’s most vibrant activist movements are led by the youth, with LGBTQ+ and Indigenous minorities playing a prominent role. 

They face an uphill battle. 

Since the 2014 coup, protest restrictions and legal action against young protesters have risen. During the 2020 protests alone, nearly 300 people under the age of 18, many from ethnic minorities, were arrested. Some were accused of sedition or insulting the monarchy: charges that can lead to years behind bars.

Like Natiporn Sanesangkhom (‘Bung’), a 28-year-old jailed in 2022 for polling the public about royal motorcades, released on bail, and re-arrested in January 2024 for climbing a fence outside court to communicate with a fellow activist.

Tragically, after 110 days on hunger strike, Bung died in a hospital jail on 14 May 2024.

23-year-old stateless activist Sam Samat (‘Art’) was also imprisoned for attending a protest in 2021.

The stress of prison caused Art to lose his hair, and he caught Covid-19 in the cramped conditions – he estimates that 50 people slept in a 30m² cell – yet he remains resolute:

‘I’m glad to this day that I went to that protest... Don’t be afraid – but fight. We are the people in this country. We can drive our society forward.’

– Sam Samat (‘Art’)

In 2024, ARTICLE 19 supported Law Long Beach to provide free legal aid and security training for young protesters. 

We also teamed up with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights to amplify protesters’ voices to the the UN.

The UN Committee Against Torture’s examination of Thailand. The Committee’s final recommendations reflected our calls for Thailand to protect protesters from violence and to improve detention conditions.

Despite the risks, and with the help of our partners on the ground, Thai youth continue to demand freedom, democracy, and human rights.

ARTICLE 19 is proud to support them.

‘No one is 100% ready to be subjected to state action. We need to see that they have a support system, ensure they will not face further rejection at home or from their peers.’ 

– Alisar Bindusa (Law Long Beach)

Mexico: Improving the policing of protests

Mexico bore the brunt of a wave of police violence in 2024 – including an assault against an ARTICLE 19 staff member who was helping protesters detained in Mexico City.

In this context, improving the policing of protests is an urgent necessity.

That's why, when the Mexico City government organised a meeting to introduce the new authorities responsible for managing protests, we made sure our voices were heard.

As a result of our advocacy, the authorities agreed to support collaboration between civil society and the Mexico City government during protests. 

We also produced new resources to help journalists covering the 2024 elections – Mexico’s most violent to date – to stay safe. 

With our partners, we are now pushing for state-level law enforcement and public authorities to adopt a Model Protocol for Protest Action – and to ensure everyone in Mexico is #FreeToProtest.

Protecting journalists

The key to media freedom

A free media is a bedrock of a free society, enabling us to form our own opinions, make our own choices, and hold our leaders accountable. 

Yet in 2024, more than 60% of journalists killed in the line of duty were killed in countries in conflict – the highest percentage in over a decade.

In the face of such violence, work to protect individual journalists can feel like a drop in the ocean. 

But for those journalists and their families, it is the entire ocean. 

We must never forget that behind each and every statistic is a whole human life.

US: Freeing Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich hit international headlines in August 2024 when he was released from prison in Russia, where he’d been detained on bogus espionage charges for 16 months.

We helped Evan’s legal team to access the UN, which found that Russia had violated international law by imprisoning him. 

He was released a month later – and the UN finding means he can now sue Russia for damages. 

‘I want to thank you for your commitment to bringing light to Evan’s case. Your contribution made a meaningful impact on the efforts to bring Evan home.’

– Almar Latour (Publisher, The Wall Street Journal)

Türkiye: Journalists acquitted following ARTICLE 19 intervention

Türkiye’s laws criminalise vague offences, making them susceptible to being weaponised against journalists.

Yet even in this repressive context, ARTICLE 19 made an impact in 2024.

In 3 of the 4 cases we intervened in, the journalists were acquitted.

Like Sinan Aygül: the first journalist convicted for ‘spreading disinformation’ in Türkiye. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison in February 2023 for tweeting unverified information – despite later deleting his post and apologising. 

ARTICLE 19 submitted an expert opinion to his case at the Court of Cassation. We argued that the provision criminalising disinformation is overly broad, and that Sinan’s prosecution was a disproportionate restriction of his right to freedom of expression. 

Sinan’s conviction was overturned – and he was acquitted in a re-trial in September 2024.

Journalists Furkan Karabay and Cengiz Erdinç were also acquitted following our intervention.

And we shared our expertise in Turkish criminal procedural law with others, helping international observers understand and accurately report on violations of press freedom. 

SLAPPs: Leading the global fightback

Politicians, wealthy businesspeople, and corporations around the world are weaponising the law against journalists who expose their corruption.

These vexatious lawsuits, known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), aim to silence criticism, evade scrutiny, and crush debate.

ARTICLE 19 has long been a leading voice in the fightback against SLAPPs – and we achieved further success in 2024.

In June 2024 a new UNHRC resolution, adopted by consensus, called on states to address the increase in SLAPPs and mandated a report and workshop to explore their impact. 

ARTICLE 19 closely supported the passing of the resolution.

We are now pushing to be involved in the next steps – and for states to end SLAPPs for good.

Poland: Plans to decriminalise defamation announced at ARTICLE 19 event

Journalists in Poland have been subject to one of the highest number of SLAPPs in the EU.

Under the PiS-led government (2015–23), ministers and their corporate allies routinely sued those who exposed their corruption.

Throughout 2024, we urged Poland’s new government to act on SLAPPs, including by co-organising the first international Anti-SLAPP Conference in Warsaw in April. 

At our conference, the Minister of Justice announced plans to decriminalise defamation and insult.

The Minister also pledged to introduce a Polish anti-SLAPP law that not only complies with the EU Anti-SLAPPs Directive – which ARTICLE 19 was instrumental in securing – but goes further to address Poland’s specific problems. This includes strong protections for domestic cases, especially those brought by state entities, measures to reduce the financial burden of legal proceedings, and the provision of free legal aid for journalists. 

And later in the year, the Minister informed us that his department had swiftly withdrawn 37 SLAPPs instigated by the previous government.

These were huge milestones in a battle we have fought with our Polish partners for many years. 

We held the government accountable for their promises throughout 2024:

• In September, with Media Freedom Rapid Response, we embarked on a mission to Poland to assess the government’s progress. 

• In November, with the Polish Anti-SLAPP Working Group, we published an analysis of the legal reforms needed and shared them with the government in a letter signed by over 40 media outlets and NGOs.

Poland has the opportunity to become a beacon for media freedom: a remarkable U-turn from the previous government. But words are not deeds – and in January 2025, there were worrying signs of potential backsliding. 

ARTICLE 19 will keep up the pressure until Poland’s journalists can conduct their vital work without being silenced, sued, or scapegoated.

‘ARTICLE 19 has been a crucial ally, standing by me in court and speaking out against the harassment I endure. Their presence and support mean a lot.’

– Grzegorz Rzeczkowski (Polish journalist)

Mexico: ARTICLE 19 awarded at Cannes – and beyond – for breaking the silence on violence against journalists 

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

Veracruz is one of its most dangerous states. From 2010 to 2016 in Veracruz:

• At least 17 journalists were killed.
• At least 3 journalists were disappeared.
• While the authorities identified over 60 people as potentially responsible, they investigated, charged, or arrested less than half of them. 

In this vacuum of justice, ARTICLE 19 worked with Mexican journalists to find out what happened – and why. 

We published our findings in an in-depth investigation: Veracruz de los Silencios (Veracruz of Silences).

Our investigation won a Walter Reuter German Journalism Prize 2024 and was shortlisted for the True Story Award 2025.

‘Shows what it means to be a journalist in Mexico: the risks, abuses, violence, and impunity.’

– Walter Reuter German Journalism Prize jury

‘Well-documented and lucid … courageous and brilliant’

– True Story Award jury

In collaboration with Grey México and Oriental Films, ARTICLE 19 Mexico and Central America also launched a powerful short film, The Shooting, to raise awareness of journalists' plight in Mexico.

Our film won 3 prizes, the Palme d'Or, and was shortlisted 14 times at the Cannes Lions Awards 2025.