If you’re reading this right now, we can assume that you’ve found the past few weeks painful, confusing and disorienting. Americans are watching our own government cracking down on our right to free speech and expression, severely limiting what people can call themselves and what values are permissible as the flood gates are opened for bigoted, hateful opinions. If you think everything feels upside down, you’re not alone.
And that’s why, for this edition of Stories of Hope, we’re bringing you the story of iLaw: an AJWS partner fighting with incredible courage for the right to speak freely in Thailand, where doing so is not just shunned — it is illegal.
In Thailand, criticizing the king or his family is a punishable offence. Just a single negative Facebook post can land people in prison — for years.
Every day, the iLaw team courageously risks their own freedom to advocate against these anti-democratic laws and stand with hundreds of political prisoners.
Be prepared. Not all these stories are cheerful and bright. But they represent what resistance, grit and resilience truly mean. And in these early weeks of the second Trump presidency, they give us — and hopefully you — the energy we need to fight on.
Inside Thailand’s Fight for Free Speech >>
More Stories of Hope
- In other free speech news, under President Nayib Bukele, El Salvador has severely limited public education about sexuality and gender – his own version of the U.S. “don’t say gay” movement. But LGBTQI+ grantees refuse to be silenced and pushed into submission.
- Last summer, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same sex marriage. And in January, the law went into effect! Couples from across the country registered their marriages – their love officially recognized, finally. AJWS partners were at the center of this massive step forward for human rights. Revisit our conversation with Nook and Hua, two activists who helped draft the bill that, today, has changed the face of Thailand.
This month’s Stories of Hope isn’t just inspiring tales of AJWS partners building a better world; it’s a chance to take action.
Right now, we’re collecting signatures to build a movement of resistance against the freeze on virtually all U.S. foreign aid. One of President Trump’s first acts in office was to cut off funds that pay for everything from HIV counseling to shelter for victims of disaster. Without this life-saving aid, millions of lives around the world are on the line. Join the AJWS Action Network and send an urgent message to your elected officials about this crisis today.
Thank you, as always, for being an integral part of our global movement for human rights.
In solidarity,
Your friends at AJWS