Phuket Mobile Forum

Presenters:

Culture and Rights from a Malaysian Perspective
Mr. Sorayut Aimauryut
Chiangrai Rajabhat University

Cultural Rights and Economic Development – Experience from Mukdahan
Dr. Sirijit Sunanta
Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University

Community Rights to Cultural Heritage at the Phnom Rung Historical Park 
Dr. Alexandra Denes
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre

Culture and Rights is a project initiated by the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. The project research teams undertook nine research projects aimed at exploring how the concepts of culture and rights were understood and mobilized in the social, political, and economic struggles in various parts of Thailand. These projects addressed issues of livelihood, language use and language policy, heritage management, education, and advocacy among minorities and vulnerable groups.

This forum in Phuket was in consistence with Culture and Rights objective to foster public awareness and dialogue about cultural rights and derived from our discussion with Dr. Narumon Hinshiranan of Chulalongkorn University, who has worked extensively in the Phuket area. Dr. Narumon suggested that the core ideas of the Culture and Rights Project, and the findings from different research projects that explicate and challenge those ideas could be communicated in ways that might help advance the cause of minorities within Phuket, notably Chao Le (sea people) groups. The forum served as a platform for exchanging knowledge on how rights-informed approaches to management of cultural sustainability and development in other parts of Thailand might be of use to community leaders, local resources people and government officials in Phuket.