‘Any Loss of Life Is Unacceptable’: Anchana Heemmina on Peace, Justice, and Patani
On December 6, 2025, Engage Thailand held the second episode of the Deep Dive with Anchana Heemmina. Anchana is a human rights defender and the founder of the Duay Jai Association for Humanitarian Affairs, an organization that provides rehabilitation services for torture victims in southern Thailand and support for their families.
Anchana started by tracing the history of the conflict in southern Thailand where Malay-Muslims are the majority. Colonialism, which brought the area—known as Patani—under Siamese control, is the source of local grievances that has driven the violence against the Thai state. The grievances are further worsened by contemporary nationalist and discriminatory policies by the central government.
“The government, however, was unaware that the core issues were about [the history and struggle of Patani], religion, and unfair and unjustified treatment,” Anchana said. The extrajudicial killings and impunity have “led to a strong sentiment among Muslims in the southern part of the country that they could not live together with the Thai state, causing many to join the [local insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional or] BRN, and the fight continues until now.”
As a person at the frontline, Anchana is well aware that political will from the Thai government is crucial to the progress of the peace dialogue. She pointed out that violence significantly dropped after the announcement of the peace dialogue in 2013, but started to scale up again when there were no clear directions from the government between 2019 and 2023.
“The core problem is that the Parliament and Thai citizens, in general, still perceive this as a minor problem […] However, from the perspective of people who live here, any loss of life is unacceptable and should be stopped.” Within the last decade, hundreds of people have fallen victim to extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance, and more have been tortured. Threats against NGOs and activists are commonplace, with more than 27 cases of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP cases) since 2022.
“The core problem is that the Parliament and Thai citizens, in general, still perceive this as a minor problem […] However, from the perspective of people who live here, any loss of life is unacceptable and should be stopped”
“Even Muslims in Bangkok may perceive Malay Muslims as ‘radical’ or ‘violent,’ judging them without historical consideration or real understanding. It is about building deep empathy towards people living in the conflict areas. We must respect their humanity and dignity as human beings. We should not accept acts of torture, arbitrary detentions, or extrajudicial killings. We have to accept them for who they are: Malay Muslims.”
In the end, the root problem is in the mindset and the path to peace requires a national shift in perspective. “Everyone living within the borders of Thailand should be perceived as Thai people, and we should respect differences rather than using them as an excuse to label some groups as others."
Those interested in Anchana’s work can check out Duay Jai’s Facebook page and website. The organization has been negatively impacted by the closure of USAID funding and is currently seeking donations and support to sustain its vital services. You can contact the Duay Jai Association for Humanitarian Affairs directly or reach out via Engage Thailand.
