The NGO Bill isn’t just about NGOs,
and it isn’t about transparency.
There’s much more at stake.
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#ThaiNGOLaw #NoNGOBillTH
#NGOsForThePeople
BREAKING NEWS
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BREAKING NEWS |
Joint Letter to President Biden
Re: Thailand’s Abusive Draft Law on
Not-For-Profit Organizations
The letter includes President Biden on the draft law on non-profit organizations that violate rights in Thailand signed by 65 NGOs from Thai and international. Joint Letter to President Biden Re Thailand’s Abusive Draft Law on Not-For-Profit Organizations
There’s a bill you need to know about
In January, the Thai cabinet approved the draft of a bill with a boring name and big implications.
The NGO Bill supposedly creates transparency in the nonprofit sector, but it also takes away rights from regular Thai people. Meanwhile, it will make it impossible for nonprofits to do critical work on human rights, environmental justice, and many other important causes.
Why the NGO Bill is problematic
If passed as written, this bill will:
Take away some
basic freedoms
Drive out international investment and aid
Cripple the
nonprofit sector
Take away good paying jobs
Make life harder
for many Thai people
Waste our tax money
You can find an overview here and a great op-ed about the bill here.
NGOs are good for Thailand
Many Thai people believe that human rights activists and organizations are “foreign agents” and a threat to national security.
This is ridiculous and wrong. Each year, nonprofits in Thailand help millions of people feed their families, access healthcare and education, and find jobs.
nonprofits in Thailand think
this bill is a terrible idea.
Here are just a few ways NGOs help
Feed the hungry
Scholars of Sustenance has served more than 14,796,000 meals in more than 600 communities across Thailand since 2016.
Support the poor
Raks Thai Foundation has helped more than 752,000 Thai people access economic resources and escape violence.
Preserve wildlife
Save Elephant Foundation actively cares for more than 1,500 Asian elephants.
Provide counseling
Médecins Sans Frontières provides counseling and mental health services to women and orphans in Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat.
Increase access to education
Karen Hilltribes Trust has provided 17,693 youth with access to education and 18,901 farmers with reliable irrigation.
Here’s how you can help!
Comment on the official DSDW Facebook page
to let the Thai government know that you do not support this bill.
Make a meme for the Thai government
Use a free generator to make a meme opposing the NGO Bill, then post it on the DSDW Facebook page or email it to the Thai government. Then share your meme on social media!
If you don’t want to make your own meme, feel free to use one of these:
Ask volunteers, employees, and friends to email the DSDW
The Thai government extended the window for public feedback on the NGO Bill until April 30. Your organization emailed the government, but did your individual volunteers, employees, friends, and family? If not, now is the time!
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Dear DSDW:
I do not support the Operation of Not-for-Profit Organizations Act (NGO Bill).
Dear DSDW:
I value the work of NGOs, CSOs, and other nonprofits operating in Thailand and do not support a bill that would interfere with this vital work. Please rethink the Operation of Not-for-Profit Organizations Act.
Dear DSDW:
The Operation of Not-for-Profit Organizations Act (NGO Bill) would drive out international investment and aid, which would be bad for Thai people. I do not support this bill.
Dear DSDW:
The Operation of Not-for-Profit Organizations Act (NGO Bill) would cripple the nonprofit sector, and make life harder for many Thai people who depend on NGOs to feed their families, access healthcare, and find work. I do not support this bill.
Click the red button to send a pre-written email, or email your own message to [email protected]. We’ve also included some alternate email drafts in the dropdown.
Raise awareness on social media
We created a digital toolkit that you can use to raise awareness about the NGO Bill on social media. It’s available in English and Thai. Feel free to adjust the copy in a way that resonates with your network and makes you feel safe.
You don't need to criticize the law.
A message of support for NGOs with a positive tone is a great way to help
Make sure to include at these one of these hashtags:
#ThaiNGOLaw #NoNGOBillTH #NGOsForThePeople
Tell us what you think
Thanks for taking time to read about the NGO Bill. What do you think?
What people are saying about the Bill
“[This law] would damage the country in the eyes of the international community, who would see Thailand as a country that did not respect human rights principles. No investors want to invest in a country that does not respect human rights"
— Nirand Pitakwatchara, former member of the National Human Rights Commission, Bangkok Post
“Some parts of the draft border on the ridiculous. One section bans any work that affects ‘good morals’ or the ‘happy normal existence of other persons.’ These terms are so vague that they in practice mean that almost any work by an NGO could be construed as criminal.”
— Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, Director, Cross-Cultural Foundation Thailand, Newsweek
“Currently, there are about 86 international NGOs and more than 25,000 local ones in the country. Contrary to public perception, Thai authorities already have several laws regulating these NGOs, including the defamation law under the Criminal Code, Section 112 and the Computer Crime law. As for checking finances, there is the anti-money laundering law to check donations.”
“Our society should soul-search and hold healthy debates about the role of NGOs here. Society must not forget that NGOs are indeed a barometer of freedom and democracy in a country. Like it or not, their freedom is our freedom, too.”
“The draft NGOs Operations Bill is a tool of the state to control people’s organizations by restricting its freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and right to privacy”
— Pairoj Polpetch, Union of Civil Liberty, Khaosod English
“For the sake of perspective, it is useful to regard NGOs as the embodiment of freedom of association, where a group of people gather for a common purpose. This is a basic human right.”
— Vitit Muntarbhorn, Professor of Law at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Post