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22 Feb 2011

Thai, Burmese LGBTs march in Chiangmai

An estimated 200 to 400 members of Chiangmai's LGBT community  including some 70 of Burmese origin – and their supporters marched in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sunday to promote non-violence towards members of the LGBT community.

Organised by Mplus, a Chiangmai-based HIV/AIDS NGO, and a coalition of other community groups, the march was officiated by the deputy mayor of Chiang Mai and went on without incident. 

The northern Thai city witnessed its first LGBT march on 27 January 2008 when some 160 gay activists and NGO workers who were in town for the third International Lesbian and Gay Association Asia conference joined locals in a march through the main Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar road. The second parade held on 21 February 2008 was however attacked by Redshirt groups and/or members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) which accused participants of destroying the local culture.


All photos courtesy of Aung Myo Min


Buddhist monks and participants lighting candles to form a
peace symbol at the event.

Labelled as a 'peace walk' to promote gay rights and non-violence towards members of the LGBT community, the parade on Sunday passed through the busy Chiang Mai Night Bazaar area. Gay and human rights activists including Anjana Suwanawanon, President of SOGI Foundation (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) and Aung Myo Min, Director of Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) addressed the crowd. They were joined by Rev. Dr. Kenneth Dobson, a Presbyterian minister and missionary, and a Buddhist monk, Pra. Tanomsing Kossonnawin, President of Dhammadrops Foundation and other speakers who spoke against discrimination.

Aung Myo Min, a former Representative ILGA-ASIA, told Fridae: "This peace walk sends a message to society that LGBT people are not a problem, but part of society. We can contribute good things to society and we need understanding and recognition. And we don’t want violence."

Myo, who is also the director of the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, explained that it is difficult to achieve LGBT rights within the Burmese exile community and in Burma, public protests of any kind are not permitted.

“We are struggling and we still have to try much harder to obtain equality for LGBT people. We can say that it is a struggle within a struggle. It means that the LGBT rights activists are struggling even in the communities which promote democracy and human rights for Burma in order to fulfill LGBT rights.” He was quoted as saying in The Irrawaddy, a news magazine published by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. 

The India-based Burmese-focused Mizzima News Agency noted: “Activists said that the Burmese community has become more understanding of the rights of homosexuals in recent years. In the past, The All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) classified homosexuality as a crime. In 1997, the ABSDF revoked that classification. Similarly, the Burmese Women’s Union now allows all women, including lesbians, to apply for membership.” 

Gay rights activist and project coordinator of the Mplus project Pongthorn Chanlearn was relieved that the event went on smoothly. He was quoted as saying in The Irrawaddy that although gay people were not seriously injured physically in 2008 during the counter protest, they were injured psychologically.

“We respect and are aware of the local culture,” Chanlearn said. “We just want to promote LGBT rights and reduce discrimination against the LGBT community. We want to align our identity between the culture and our rights.” 

Thailand » Chiang Mai

Reader's Comments

Comment #1 was deleted by its author on 2011-03-05 03:03
Comment #2 was deleted by its author on 2011-02-23 00:38
3. 2011-02-23 01:20  
congratulations to everyone involved in this great event in Chiang Mai
4. 2011-02-23 01:38  
those red shirt in siam seem supporter of tyranny cronyism. i might wrong
5. 2011-02-23 02:00  
congratulations to Chiang Mai people.
6. 2011-02-23 02:00  
congratulations to Chiang Mai people.
7. 2011-02-23 07:38  
Congrats from Canada. Glad it went well.
8. 2011-02-23 08:47  
Keep it up !! Kudos to all the people who participated and the organisers.

Red shirt ??? What is that ??? Feel sorry for them. A whole pack of puppets , low esteemed people with no future of their own. Sad sad sad.
9. 2011-02-23 09:13  
Way to go. Nice to see. It takes time to change the minds and ways of others. I was told 40 years ago the police in Canada would arrest gays for various reasons and now I am an openly gay leader of police. Keep at it.. Chai Mai
10. 2011-02-23 22:55  
congratulations to everybody involved in this march!!
11. 2011-02-24 00:05  
Glad to hear it was a success. I plan to visit Chiang Mai in October. Looking forward to a nice visit!
12. 2011-02-24 01:14  
Congrats to all participant... This is something that will never happen in Indonesia.

:-(
13. 2011-02-24 03:46  
Well Done. Cheers!
14. 2011-02-24 06:48  
Please remove monks picture from this news. It is not appropriate to put monks picture on this news. The headline is LGBTs. This monk picture here may make people misunderstand.
Comment edited on 2011-02-24 06:54:54
15. 2011-02-24 11:37  
Monks and buddhists are supposed to be compassionate to all. Great to see the monks including themselves and am glad Burmanese are included. So many gay burma people are oppressed in their own country
16. 2011-02-24 12:16  
"Please remove monks picture from this news. It is not appropriate to put monks picture on this news. The headline is LGBTs. This monk picture here may make people misunderstand."

Misunderstand what? All I see are monks lighting the candles presumably to support the objectives of the event which is to call for peace and non-violence...

17. 2011-02-24 12:31  
"Please remove monks picture from this news. It is not appropriate to put monks picture on this news. The headline is LGBTs. This monk picture here may make people misunderstand."

Misunderstand what? All I see are monks lighting the candles presumably to support the objectives of the event which is to call for peace and non-violence...

He must assume that monks don't have sexual feelings or leanings...lol.
18. 2011-02-24 18:53  
Monks are very well respected and play a very important part in Thai society. Their support is from major significance. Taken the picture from the monks showing their support would be manipulating the news in a negative way.
19. 2011-02-24 20:30  
I saw monks in Thailand taking pictures lots of times. Also these monks are at a demonstration. I think that they'd want to be seen and they;d want the message of the demonstration to be spread as far as possible.
The demonstrators are brave people who are making a difference. They can only be applauded.
20. 2011-02-24 23:31  
Wish I was there! Just left Chiang Mai a couple of weeks ago...

Way to Go all Peaceful Freedom Fighters!!!

It's all about LOVE
21. 2011-02-25 05:10  
It does not matter whether monk pictures are in Fridae or not. After all they are not promoting gay lifestyles. They were there to show compassion to others. Don't over reacting. If monks are worry to associate with gay people, they would not be there at the first place. Chai Yen Yen na krab.
22. 2011-03-27 12:39  
I never thought thailand would be so open minded with even buddhist monks supporting lgbt rights. I thought they would be very conservative because they are buddhist.
Comment #23 was deleted by its author on 2011-03-27 12:41

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