[Thai follows. ภาษาไทยด้านล่าง]
One Young World plans to hold its summit in Bangkok in November. We have read their explanation that OYW’s choice of venue is not intended to be a “political statement”. Nevertheless, One Young World’s choice of Thailand legitimises the Thai military dictatorship all thinking people are resisting. OYW would never have issued such a statement if they didn’t think something was amiss.
If One Young World comes to Thailand, they are proving that OYW’s founding mission statement, an “unswerving commitment to free speech”, is just hot air. We think OYW and all of us should be teaching young people there are principles to live by. These principles must not include support for dictatorship.
“One Young World is defined by its unswerving commitment to free speech; to providing the world’s youth with a platform to share and challenge the status quo without fear of censorship or oppression.”
(One Young World founding mission statement)
We urge One Young World to reconsider its choice of venue. We in Thailand have been living under a military dictatorship since May 22, 2014 when generals illegally seized power in a military coup d’etat against a popularly elected government. The junta seized power in a military coup and there has been a steady and increasing failure of human rights ever since.
Since that time, the Thai Constitution and Parliament have been dissolved. Thais have been living under martial law and worse backed by laws banning freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, academic freedom. We all, including and especially Thai youth, live every day in fear of both censorship and oppression. Some students, as young as high school, opposing the coup have been accused by educators of being ‘mentally ill’ just like dissidents in the Soviet bloc.
By September 2015, nearly 800 Thais have been detained by the coup and at least 100 have fled into exile. Trials are now military courts-martial conducted in camera with no rights to defence counsel or appeal. By July 2015, 251 Thais had been arrested for holding peaceful, public demonstrations against the junta.
As one of these exiles, charged in absentia with lèse majesté, writes: “Thailand is now staring down the barrel of continued dictatorship. Thailand badly needs help from international leaders and sustained pressure to end this cycle of oppression and bring an urgent end to lèse majesté” [prosecutions].
More than 70 political events, academic panels, seminars and public forums have been banned by the military. More than 200 people have been charged with free speech “crimes”. Some have been handed 50 year sentences…for Facebook posts. Please take another look at OYW’s mission statement!
The generals tell us there will be no elections before 2017. We think they plan to stay in power far longer. The junta tells us reforming Thailand will not be completed before 2032!
Dictatorship is not something that can be swept under the rug. One Young World is about intellectual freedom, about raising entrepreneurs, leaders, and social activists. Thailand’s dictatorship is not the message OYW wants to be sending to the world’s young people.
We urge One Young World to NOT support holding any conference in Thailand until we’re back to democracy.
OYW should expect resistance if its congress is held in Thailand. If the conference is held here, all of us who can will attend and be as outspoken as possible.
Please forward this mail to your country’s speakers (if OYW goes ahead anyway, we will be urging them to boycott), your administrators, organisers, and planners.
Further reference: https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153281520716154&set=a.419593026153.213934.627196153
One Young World Bangkok Advisory Board: http://www.oneyoungworld.com/bangkok-advisory-board
“One Year On: The Road to Hell” http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/5146
#OneYoungWorld
#GunYoungWorld
#Thailand
thailandsfuture 
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