OPINION

Let's hear it for rights

To: Attorney-General Wongsakul Kittipromwong, Office of the Attorney-General, Thailand

Right Livelihood Laureates and representatives of Right Livelihood Colleges from all parts of the world, deeply concerned about the worrisome increase in power of authoritarian regimes engulfing us, in particular alerted by escalating violence against citizens and arbitrarily imprisonments in the Southeast Asia region, laud the young changemakers.

They include students, human rights lawyers, young vocational trainees in Thailand in their courageous struggle for freedom of expression and the right to people's self-determination. In particular we hail the formulation, debate and promotion of proposals for fundamental reform of institutions and laws toward transformation of society as a whole in order to achieve agreed sustainability goals and justice for all citizens.

We support senior Right Livelihood Laureate Sulak Sivaraksa in his continuous engagement with the young changemakers. As well as his passionate appeal to the activists to strictly observe non-violence and to exercise patience.

We are proudly aware that young people stand up globally against denial of climate emergency, indifference to economic and social inequality, and against the mere ignorance of cultural challenges new generations face. We encourage regional associations like the Milk Tea Alliance which started from exchanges and solidarity among young activists in Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan and is now spilling over to other parts of Asia.

In the face of the cruel and barbaric coup in Myanmar, and the ongoing farmers' protests in India against corporatisation of the agriculture and food sectors, we support firm efforts to exercise our "responsibility to protect" in a regional and global context of solidarity and non-violent intervention. What the farmers -- many of them women -- are striving for, in the spirit of Right Livelihood, is vital for the survival and dignity of the rural population as well as for all families who celebrate having food together, especially in crisis, in a spirit of sacredness and care for Mother Earth.

Moreover, we encourage cross-border mutual assistance to prevent civil war, international conflict, and a looming collective race to the bottom. The group of activists in Thailand who have been accused -- and even pre-maturely imprisoned -- of lese majeste, sedition and disruption of security stands symbol for the courage of the new generation to say NO to "business as usual", unaccountable "stability" and "blind obedience to authorities" which lead us on a development path that is far from sustainable. We therefore call on the Thai authorities to uphold their international Human Rights obligations and free these young changemakers immediately.

Most Respectfully, The undersigned Right Livelihood Laureates: Sulak Sivaraksa, Thailand, Right Livelihood Laureate 1995; Angie Zelter, for Trident Ploughshares, United Kingdom Right Livelihood Laureate 2001; Chico Whitaker, Brazil, Right Livelihood Laureate 2006; Maude Barlow, Canada, Right Livelihood Laureate 2005; Pat Mooney, Canada, Right Livelihood Laureate 1985; Raul Montenegro, Argentina, Right Livelihood Laureate 2004; Sima Samar, Afghanistan, Right Livelihood Laureate 2012; Medha Patkar, India, Right Livelihood Laureate 1991; Andras Biro, Hungary, Right Livelihood Laureate 1995; Anwar Fazal, Malaysia, Right Livelihood Laureate 1982; David Shaw, Coordinator, Right Livelihood College Santa Cruz; Nnimmo Bassey, Nigeria, Right Livelihood Laureate 2010; Dipal Barua, former managing director of Grameen Shakti, Bangladesh, Right Livelihood Laureate 2007; Alyn Ware, New Zealand, Right Livelihood Laureate 2009; Paul Walker, United States of America, Right Livelihood Laureate 2013; Fidelis Allen, Coordinator, Right Livelihood College Nigeria; Wes Jackson, United States of America, Right Livelihood Laureate 2000; Ruchama Marton, Israel, Right Livelihood Laureate 2010; Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, Uganda, Right Livelihood Laureate 2015; Campaign Against Arms Trade, United Kingdom, Right Livelihood Laureate 2012; Colin Gonsalves, India, Right Livelihood Laureate 2017; Bianca Jagger, Nicaragua, Right Livelihood Laureate 2004; Jacqueline Moudeina, Chad, Right Livelihood Laureate 2011.

Letting the river run dry

Re: "Mekong hurt by sweet talk", (Editorial, March 27).

Marvellous. Don sends a congratulatory note to a grouping that has overseen the death of a once mighty river. They have succeeded in stopping the fishing, killing the creatures that can't survive massive changes in water levels and leaving farmers in peril. The Cambodians who appear to have lost their main source of food, Tonle Sap, must be really pleased.