A room in Bangkok no bigger than 15m2 with three massive tables, 4 bookshelves, and some stacks of paper and paperwork is the one and solely workplace house of Sam Yan Press. On the entrance, guests to the press are greeted by a plain paper-printed nameplate and a big portrait of a legendary civil rights activist Martin Luther King. Like no different press within the nation, Sam Yan Press is an unbiased publishing home, absolutely operated by college college students and dedicated to “writing and translating as methods to guard and promote democracy in Thailand”.
Sam Yan Press was established in 2017 by Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a youth activist and political science scholar at Chulalongkorn College, one among Thailand’s most prestigious greater schooling establishments. Netiwit has taken half in social and political activism no less than since 2012 when he and his associates formed the Thailand Academic Revolution Alliance, a Fb-based marketing campaign calling for an finish to the “mechanistic” schooling system in Thailand. On the college, he served because the President of the Chulalongkorn College Scholar Council within the educational 12 months 2020–2021.
Having had a ardour for studying and writing since he was younger, the thought of building a publishing home was virtually pure to Netiwit. To this point, the press has revealed 48 titles, 38 of that are translated books and 10 are authentic monographs. Most books are completely in Thai, besides the “Letter to Dr Husak”, which was additionally printed in Lao. The group concludes each e book with an epilogue of acknowledgement and background, detailing the explanations behind title choice, some journeys of the publication course of, and the way it introduced them to new alternatives and friendships inside and throughout Thailand’s borders.
Sam Yan Press is managed by a group of two to five core committee members, with over 30 scholar contributors lending their palms for editorial, translating, and different administrative work. As college college students, the founding group had the intention to maintain the platform operated solely by college students and contemporary graduates as a technique to in flip empower younger activists. By means of this unbiased press, they see themselves as democracy activists “writing and translating as methods to guard and promote democracy in Thailand” by spreading progressive ideas associated to politics, democracy, and activism in Thai society.
Books as activism
Sam Yan Press works with an in depth checklist of subjects. Some examples from its webpage embody animal rights, the Milk Tea Alliance and Chinese language dissidents, engaged Buddhism, schooling, and feminism. Because the press committee embraces the variety of thought, the titles of the books chosen for translation are primarily based on the contributors’ pursuits. Whereas Sam Yan Press has primarily revealed translated books, college students’ authentic items are additionally inspired. Netiwit talked about that he meant for these monographs to ignite a democratic spirit in society.
In different phrases, the titles of books translated by Sam Yan Press mirror what the committee members deemed important for the cultivation of democracy and progressive concepts in Thailand. These embody a number of key texts from varied fields of philosophy and political concept, similar to Isaiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty, Hannah Arendt’s Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship, and Judith Butler’s The Force of Nonviolence: An Ethico-Political Bind. Netiwit additionally shared that the group is at the moment engaged on the interpretation of James C. Scott’s Two Cheers for Anarchism.
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Other than theoretical items, the press has additionally printed a substantial variety of books capturing tales of the struggles for freedom, human rights, and democracy from world wide, together with the interpretation of speeches and written items of Liu Xiaobo and Martin Luther King. These books assist remind the scholars behind Sam Yan Press, most of whom have been engaged in activism in Thailand, notably the 2020–2021 pro-democracy actions, that they weren’t alone of their struggles.
Contemplating Thailand’s extremely contentious political environment, significantly for the reason that 2014 coup, Sam Yan Press’s strategy may be seen as a extra strategically refined technique to promote democracy. Beneath navy rule from 2014 to 2019, a number of restrictions on avenue gatherings have been imposed, coupled with intimidation of activists by way of the weaponisation of legal guidelines. The waves of the youth-led pro-democracy protests within the aftermath of the 2019 common elections have been additionally contained by the military-backed authorities by way of varied means, together with the COVID-19 emergency decree limiting freedom of meeting, the enforcement of the lèse majesté law, and the authorities’ violent crackdown.
It was this political environment that partially impressed the thought of Sam Yan Press—to keep away from bodily, direct, and violent confrontations with the authoritarians. As a substitute, by way of books, they work on the ideological and mental realm to strengthen concepts, restore hope, and achieve extra supporters in society.
Moreover, the writer may also assist empower those that are keen about politics and societal adjustments. Some contributors to the press got here from a circle of scholar activists in Thailand, because the recruitment to the press is primarily by way of phrase of mouth. Thus, after having been suppressed and going through hurdles in rallies for years, Sam Yan Press provides them one other clever, different manner of elevating consciousness and expressing their ideas.
The Sam Yan neighborhood
It was no coincidence that the writer was named Sam Yan, as past educational literature and books associated to democracy, individuals behind the publishing home have additionally engaged with and advocated for points throughout the Sam Yan and Chulalongkorn neighborhood. The connection runs deeper than simply the shared title.
Sam Yan, a district in Bangkok, is dwelling to a number of historic and cultural landmarks, similar to Wat Hua Lamphong (The Hua Lamphong Temple), believed to be constructed within the early Rama reign, a snake farm on the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, and lots of of previous native eating places. Additionally it is the place Thailand’s first college, Chulalongkorn College—the house establishment of most Sam Yan Press group members—is positioned. For generations, this house has been shared between college students, colleges, and different workers of the college and the locals, whose histories, reminiscences, and livelihoods have turn out to be interconnected and interdependent.
The Sam Yan Press group expressed their fond connection to the locality by way of books, similar to Dear You… at Political Science: The Life of a Commoner Behind the Curtain. The e book options tales of Aunty Tew, a janitor who has labored on the Chulalongkorn College of Political Science for practically 70 years. She is a well-recognized face to everybody within the college, and her life is nearly inextricable to the historical past of the college. The e book, in a manner, presents an alternate narrative of the institutional and neighborhood historical past by way of a recollection of a janitor’s reminiscences, one that’s “no less memorable than another dominant narratives”. The group has additionally given eighty per cent of the income generated from promoting this e book again to Aunty Tew to assist her residing prices.
One other matter that the individuals behind the press have been closely concerned in, though but to publish any e book about, is the gentrification of Chulalongkorn University. For years, the Property Administration of Chulalongkorn College (PMCU) has pressured many constructing renters and distributors to cede their house by way of rent increases and contract terminations for newer, costlier, and extra glamourous premises similar to purchasing malls—a behaviour that Netiwit and Sitthikarn Theerawatanachai deemed “grasping” and “capitalistic”.
When coming into the Sam Yan Press workplace house, one’s consideration would shortly be caught by a giant bookshelf overloaded with lots of of books in Thai and English, which members of the press used as references or a supply of inspiration. On the shelf, there was additionally a photograph of a crimson shrine and a statue inside it. It’s a picture of the unique Chao Mae Tubtim Shrine, a Chinese language shrine within the Sam Yan space that was additionally affected by PMCU’s improvement tasks. With a historical past that may be traced to the reign of King Rama V, the shrine is a big piece of proof within the legacy of Sino-Thai relations and Chinese language diasporas in Thailand. Additionally it is the centre of religion for a lot of Sam Yan residents.
In 2020, the college’s gentrification, significantly of the shrine, sparked a sequence of protests led by the individuals of Sam Yan, together with Chulalongkorn College college students, a few of whom are key members of the publishing home. In the long run the shrine was, in accordance with PMCU, “relocated”, which referred to the destruction of the unique website, together with vintage sculptural patterns and authentic sensation of the structure, and the development of a new shrine on the CU (Chulalongkorn College) Centenary Park. For the reason that caretaker of the unique shrine insisted that she wouldn’t switch any artefacts into the newly constructed premise, the novel modern-looking shrine with stickers pasted on the door and typographical errors of some Chinese language characters thus replicated nothing from the unique shrine however the title.
Sam Yan Press group’s try to inform tales of the locality by way of their work and battle towards the PMCU illuminate that their curiosity shouldn’t be confined to theoretical work or points that caught mass media consideration. As a substitute, they make clear the lives and struggles of abnormal individuals who face injustice in society, significantly these across the college space—a house of their mental cultivation. This give attention to a smaller scale has additionally allowed them to make seen adjustments and contribute to the standard of life of individuals inside their neighborhood.
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A PHOTOGRAPH OF HONG KONG DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST JOSEPH WONG IN SAM YAN PRESS’ OFFICE IN BANGKOK (PHOTO: AUTHOR)
Past Thailand
Past home issues, Sam Yan Press has additionally revealed a number of books associated to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Examples embody a translated model of Anna Marie Brady’s Magic Weapons: China’s Political Influence Activities Under Xi Jinping, Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink”, and Hsueh Hua-yuan et al.’s Taiwan is Not Chinese!: A Historical past of Taiwan Nationality. With the group members’ robust ardour for democracy, justice, and human rights, it’s not shocking that a number of chosen books are essential of the Chinese language Communist Celebration (CCP) and its home and international insurance policies. Moreover, some leaders of the press, notably Netiwit, are comrades and admirers of key activists in Hong Kong who led a sequence of pro-democracy protests in 2014 and 2019.
In October 2016, following his visit to Hong Kong in the summertime of that 12 months, Netiwit, then serving because the President of the Scholar Council at Chulalongkorn College, invited Joshua Wong, one of many protest leaders in Hong Kong’s 2014 actions, to Bangkok. Wong was to ship a chat titled “The New Generations’ Politics” as a part of an occasion memorialising of the 1976 Thammasat Massacre. Nonetheless, as quickly as he landed in Thailand, Wong was detained for 12 hours and subsequently deported and not using a likelihood to depart the airport.
In 2017, when Wong was imprisoned, Netiwit and his colleagues revealed a e book titled Time Is On Our Side: A Book for Joshua Wong’s 21st Birthday. The e book gathers a group of speeches and essays on human rights and justice, together with Liu Xiaobo’s famend June second starvation strike declaration and Joshua Wong’s interview statements performed by Netiwit. When requested concerning the inspiration behind the e book, Netiwit defined that “I’ve had a number of arrest warrants earlier than, and I used to be simply pondering that if I needed to be in jail on my birthday, I’d be very unhappy”. This token of assist to Wong meaningfully turned Sam Yan Press’ first book.
Their work concerning China and its insurance policies has caught some consideration in Beijing. In Might 2022, Sam Yan Press disclosed that it was approached by a Chinese language businessman who was “keen to make good relations with the Chinese language authorities”. The businessman—“likely to be related to the CCP”, provided 2 million baht in money (roughly US$600,000) in alternate for the group to close down the press and supply him with an official certificates of dissolution.
In a press release expressing their willpower to proceed “protecting and promoting freedom of expression”, Sam Yan Press committee members say they rejected the provide. This message was warmly acquired by the Hong Kong Democracy Council, who would “stand in solidary” with the writer.
Mental activism and paths ahead
Netiwit, describing himself as an introvert and bookworm, mentioned he prefers activism by way of writing and translating. Along with a number of others who share these preferences, they use the publishing home as their platform to protect and promote democracy. Their actions may be quiet in apply, however they’re loud in readers’ minds. In a manner, it’s activism on the mental degree.
Combating for democracy on the mental degree is by no means a novel repertoire of scholar activism world wide, together with in Thailand. Nonetheless, for the reason that sequence of colour-coded protests within the 2000s and early 2010s, avenue politics characterised by mass actions, charismatic leaders, and performative acts, similar to highly effective speeches on the stage, have dominated the scene of contentious politics in Thailand.
Though political rallies may be essential to catch mass consideration at instances, the battle of ideology between conservatives and those that search change can be important for the success of actions. This strategy was additionally advocated by Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former Secretary-Normal of the dissolved Future Ahead Celebration, citing Antonio Gramsci’s view that the “struggle of motion” does not suffice in making adjustments. As a substitute, we’ve to intention for altering individuals’s minds by way of “the struggle of place”, defined Piyabutr.
Subsequently, what Sam Yan Press exhibits us shouldn’t be solely the need of college college students to combat for democracy but in addition a revival of activism by way of mental battles in Thailand. As a substitute of placing a complete absolutely grown plant into the soil and threat being destroyed straight away, college students behind the press are planting and watering the seeds of democratic and progressive ideologies within the hope that at some point they may thrive independently and strongly. Moreover, by publishing books associated to the combat for democracy from overseas, the press can be sharing with its readers all classes that may be discovered. Amongst others, it’s a heartening reminder that they don’t seem to be alone.
The writer has grown quickly since its institution, particularly in the course of the 2020–2021 pro-democracy demonstrations. As Sam Yan Press’ goals soundly resonated with varied motion’s agendas, its democracy-related books attracted a bigger pool of readers throughout that point. The group additionally handed out free copies of their books a couple of instances on the protests. Netiwit shared that the group will proceed strengthening their basis within the subsequent few years to make sure that Sam Yan Press can develop sustainably by way of generations of scholars. He additionally hopes that the press would be the supply of inspiration and empowerment for college students from different Thai universities who’re combating for his or her beliefs, freedom, and justice.