Sirikan “June” Charoensiri is Executive Advisor, and attorney of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a non-governmental organization which she co-founded immediately after the May 2014 military coup in Thailand. TLHR documents human rights violations and provides free legal support to people whose civil and political rights have been violated. June studied her LL.B. at Thammasat University, Bangkok and her LL.M. at the University of Essex, UK. She is licensed to practice law in Thailand, and experienced in human rights law, working with the International Commission of Jurists, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative and other organizations working to promote justice in Thailand.
In 2015, after representing activists from the Thai New Democracy Movement in court and refusing warrantless searches, June received threats from high-ranking police officers and faced multiple criminal charges—but she has never stopped her work.
Over the past decade, June received numerous awards, including the Lawyers for Lawyers Award in 2017, the U.S. State Department’s 2018 International Women of Courage Award and the 2018 Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
In 2023, June represented TLHR to receive the Albie Justice for Democracy Defenders award from the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and was named one of Asia’s Most Influential 2023 by Tatler.
In 2024, June founded the non-profit organization “Engage Thailand” to advance Thailand’s fight for democracy and human rights on the international level, and was selected to the Asia 21 Next Generation Fellows.