AJWS grantee Isaan Land Reform Network (ILRN) is the epitome of ‘grassroots’ — a coalition of 36 Thai communities of small-scale farmers, banded together to support each of their struggles for land rights. Thousands of farmers across Thailand have been forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands by the state or private corporations; ILRN gives them a chance to fight back.
Since 2017, AJWS has funded ILRN to document human rights abuses, mobilize and represent evicted farmers and bring communities together to share knowledge, resources and experience. Members of ILRN’s movement call each other brother and sister, standing together for the good of their family. Those values have guided ILRN since the network’s founding in 2006.
“The principle of ILRN is that we are a collective. There are no heroes here. We don’t idolize anyone. We all recognize that we are part of a movement much larger than ourselves,” says Pramote Phonpinyo, ILRN’s coordinator and co-founder. “We may each have specific responsibilities, but this principle guides us.”
Pramote’s dedication to ILRN’s cause is deeply rooted in his life, and his love. He grew up in a small village in Isaan, helping his family herd buffalo and grow rice. Everyone pitched in. No one was above anyone else. When he entered the world of land rights activism, “I mimicked the values we grew up with. The basic principles of a social movement and a village are the same,” he says.
He met his wife, Tai, as a student activist — “It was love born in the protests, in the streets,” he says, with a rare grin — and their complementing energies created a partnership that built the basis of ILRN. The couple has been married since 1997; today they are proud grandparents.
Along the way, they’ve evolved into national leaders of Thailand’s land rights movement. As a female leader, Tai has empowered countless women to break gender norms and step into the fight.
Pramote and Tai lead ILRN as a completely democratic, non-hierarchical movement. Over 1,000 representatives of those 36 villages are dues-paying members (about $3 a year), but villagers who cannot afford dues are still welcomed. The couple leads respectfully, and patiently — making space for the worries and the joy of all members. ILRN uses AJWS support to fund gatherings, where villagers share their struggles and strengthen relationships while working with legal experts to build cases and defend their land.
“He’s more strategic, and I’m more of a fighter,” laughs Tai. “I’m the one in the front leading the march, and he works in the back, thinking behind the scenes.”
This dynamic is on display throughout ILRN gatherings, where members unite in one village to strategize and support each other. Warm, talkative Tai guides large discussions and leads theg roup in songs and dances; Pramote helms the sessions to build strategies and plan future legal battles.
Their humble leadership and tireless work have made them beloved figures among ILRN’s members.
“Pramote and Tai are like heroes out of an action movie, standing up for us all,” says Sangchan Thavornchaiyaphum (Am), IRLN volunteer and community member.
The couple never lets that reverence go to their head; they remain laser focused on the mission — to help villagers reclaim their land, return to their homes, and ensure no more farmers in Isaan are abused by the government. The work is never-ending, but they see ILRN as a family affair.
“I stay motivated because this mission lives in my heart,” says Pramote. “We are bonded as if we’re family. This is our strength. This is the power that we have.”
