Photo credit: Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (NIPT).
Indigenous people and forest-dwelling communities gathered in front of Chiang Mai Provincial Hall to demand amendments to forestry laws that affect forest-dwelling communities.
Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Chantawongthong met with the protesters and listened to their various proposals.
Two out of eleven community leaders living in the forest who delivered speeches in front of the Government House have already been prosecuted. The police did not allow the protesters to come within 50 meters of the Government House.
Mr. Kriengkrai Cheechuang. Eleven community forest rights and Indigenous rights defenders who have been prosecuted reported themselves at Dusit Police Station. Mr. Kriangkrai Cheechuang reported himself and displayed a symbol opposing the state’s silencing of the people.
The struggle of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand
The struggle of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand for the recognition of their ancestral territory has reached a critical moment. In late 2024 and early 2025, thousands of Indigenous communities mobilized to resist new legislation that threatens to dispossess them from their territories in the name of conservation.
What began as peaceful and large-scale demonstrations has now led to criminal charges against 11 Indigenous leaders and human rights defenders.
Indigenous Peoples in Thailand
In Thailand, 46 ethnic groups identify themselves as Indigenous Peoples out of more than 60 ethnic groups recorded in the government’s database, with a total population of over 4 million people, accounting for approximately 7 percent of Thailand’s population.
At present, Thailand has enacted the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups Act, B.E. 2568 (2025), which officially recognizes the term “ethnic groups.” However, the Act does not contain the term Indigenous Peoples in any part, and it does not guarantee the recognition of lands and protection of the Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life, which are threatened by extractivism and colonialist conservation.
The Thai Cabinet approved two Royal Decrees
On 15 November 2024, the Thai Cabinet approved two Royal Decrees aimed at resolving land-use conflicts in protected forest areas. While framed as conservation measures aligned with the National Park Act and the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, these decrees effectively curtailed the rights of Indigenous and local communities to their ancestral lands.
For over 3,000 Indigenous communities across the country, this meant heightened restrictions on participation in natural resource management and looming threats of displacement.
Massive mobilizations
The decrees triggered massive mobilizations. On November 29, 2024, more than 5,000 Indigenous people, under the banner of the “Community Assembly of People Living with Forests,” gathered to demand amendments.
A memorandum of discussion was signed between Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Chantaruangthong and Indigenous representatives, promising to address community concerns. However, no further progress was made.
Frustration grew as government agencies continued to expand protected areas without adequate consultation or formal participation.
From March 24 to April 1, 2025, over 10,000 Indigenous protesters assembled at Chiang Mai Provincial Hall, demanding that the government place their concerns on the Cabinet agenda.
On April 1, 2025, while the Cabinet convened in Bangkok, more than 100 Indigenous leaders demonstrated at Government House. A second agreement was signed, yet distrust remained over the government’s lack of follow-through.
Criminalization of Indigenous leaders
Instead of dialogue, repression followed.
In May 2025, 11 Indigenous leaders and human rights defenders who had participated in the Bangkok protest received summonses from Dusit Police Station. They were charged under the Public Assembly Act, accused of violating laws regulating peaceful protest.
On 26 May 2025, the leaders complied with police orders, and their case was referred to the public prosecutor for further investigation.
This marks a clear case of criminalization, where legal mechanisms are used to silence and intimidate defenders acting on behalf of their communities.
Financial and legal burdens
The 11 leaders face financial and legal burdens, as they must constantly travel to Bangkok to testify and attend hearings. Most come from rural, marginalized backgrounds with limited resources.
Without support, they risk unfair trials, a lack of adequate legal representation, and potential imprisonment.
Their criminalization has a chilling effect on broader Indigenous movements, threatening the legitimacy of collective action and weakening community resistance to unjust policies.
The Legal Defense and Sanctuary Fund (LDSF) is being mobilized
The Legal Defense and Sanctuary Fund (LDSF) is being mobilized to cover legal fees, travel expenses, accommodation costs, and communication costs for the leaders.
Civil society organizations in Thailand, including the Center for the Protection and Revival of Local Community Rights, P-Move, the Coordination Committee for NGOs, and the Indigenous Media Network, are also engaged in advocacy, negotiation, and communication efforts to support the accused.
A worrying global pattern
This case is emblematic of a worrying global pattern in which conservation policies are used as instruments of dispossession, restricting rights and criminalizing Indigenous Peoples.
The persecution of Indigenous leaders in Thailand highlights not only the resilience and courage of those who defend ancestral territories but also the urgency of establishing stronger safeguards against judicial harassment and the criminalization of peaceful protest.
A struggle for recognition, dignity, and justice
The case of the 11 Indigenous leaders and human rights defenders charged in Thailand is more than a legal battle; it is a struggle for recognition, dignity, and justice.
Their prosecution highlights the fragility of government commitments and the systematic repression faced by Indigenous movements.
International solidarity, legal support, and advocacy are essential to ensure that the voices of Indigenous Peoples, in their struggle for recognition of their ancestral territories and respect for their right to self-determination, are not silenced.
