10/12/2018, Brussels/Bangkok – Protection International (PI) is pleased to congratulate the families of Montha Chukaew and Pranee Boonrat from the Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand (SPFT) and photographer Luke Duggleby, who will be awarded by the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand to honor their valuable work in promoting and protecting human rights. The ceremony will take place on 11 December in Bangkok, to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN declaration on Human Rights.
Human rights defenders Montha Chukaew and Pranee Boonrat were members of the Southern Peasants’ Federation of Thailand (SPFT), a network of landless peasants and a long-lasting partner of Protection International. Both were assassinated on their way to a local market on November 19th, 2012. Their involvement in peaceful campaigns for the right to agricultural land resulted in their deaths. Sadly this is a common occurrence throughout Thailand.
Photographer Luke Deggleby will also receive an award, recognizing his work to bring awareness to the plight of Thai human rights defenders through the Those Who Died Trying project. This project, launched in 2016, visually narrates the abduction and assassination of 37 Thai human rights defenders. Duggleby placed a portrait of the victim, when possible, at the exact place where they were murdered or went missing.
Touched by the inspirational power of Duggleby’s work, classical composer Frank Horvat released in November 2018 his string quartet album For Those Who Died Trying, a further artistic expression of the plight of HRDs in Thailand. With the slogan, #music4HRDs, Horvat has brought the classical music community together to show their support for HRDs who are fighting through injustices and violence perpetrated against them, as they try to protect important environmental, land, and human rights.
Since the release of Horvat’s album For Those Who Died Trying, the movements from the album have been performed by numerous quartets across the globe, including The Mivos Quartet (NYC), Cong Quartet (Hong Kong), Bennewitz Quartet (Prague), and Nordic String Quartet (Copenhagen). Further performances of the album are scheduled, and the album can be purchased here or streamed online.