Page 9 - Dignity and justice for all of us our voices are heard in Thailand

Acknowledgments

This publication would not have been possible without the active involvement of the women, men, girls and boys across
Thailand, whose voices and experiences we have tried to convey. Their life stories and experiences, combined with the
observations, explanations and recommendations provided by the many dedicated commentators who contributed to this
work, all constitute the content and spirit of this publication.

The practical challenges faced in preparing this publication were numerous and varied. One of these was to find a way to strike
a balance between, on the one hand, ensuring a meaningful representation of the voices heard, and on the other, a legitimate
concern for the protection of the full identity of interviewees in order to ensure their personal safety. For this reason, the
decision was taken not to provide the names of most of the voices, other than the names of those individuals whose positions
or views are related to formal or public institutions. In addition, a gender-balanced focus has been applied during the
entire process.

We are very grateful to the government officials, academics, leaders of private and civil society organizations, representatives of
people’s organizations, journalists and many others who devoted their valuable time to participate in the three seminars that
were held in Khon Kaen, Hat Yai and Bangkok, respectively.

The various partners in this project are also united in their expression of profound gratitude to Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, for
his sound advice and invaluable support in the implementation of the project and finalization of the publication.

Special thanks is also due for the tireless work of the consultancy team from Chulalongkorn University, under the leadership of
Dr. Vira Somboon, who collected the voices, commentaries and systematized the information gathered. In this context, we
would also like to thank the many people who supported this process by contacting and interviewing the reflective persons
and commentators, as well as organizing the three seminars.

The research, development and finalization of this publication were made possible through generous financial contributions
from the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the European Union, Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada. Financial support was also
provided by the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the
International Organization for Migration.

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