Transitional Justice Workshop 2022 (October 4~5, Bangkok, Thailand)

The May 18 Memorial Foundation held the Transitional Justice Workshop 2022 to assess the current status of Asian countries suffering military oppression and authoritarianism and compare progress in transitional justice among them, thereby looking for ways to promote solidarity.

This workshop took place in Bangkok on October 4 ~ 5 and was joined by over 50 democracy and human rights activists and experts from Korea and abroad and co-hosted by PEF (People’s Empowerment Foundation) of Thailand for smooth facilitation. It was held in a hybrid format, both on and offline, to allow for participation by anyone who is interested.

Under the theme of “Resolving Current Transitional Justice Process in Asia and Implementing Civil Society Solidarity”, participants in this workshop compared the status of transitional justice across countries in the region and looked for ways to promote cooperation among civic groups. It was connected with the meeting of winners of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, and a photo exhibition on the May 18 Democratization Movement, named “The Great Heritage of May 18”, also took place as an auxiliary event at the Jim Thompson Art Gallery in Bangkok from October 4 to 18.

Transitional Justice Workshop 2022 Concept note

1. The global pandemic has continued for three years, and it seems there is still no way out. Various variant has disrupted normalization and delayed the end of the coronavirus crisis. Using this situation, the authoritarian regime is trying to suppress people, especially civil society activists, and seize power concretely. As a result, global democracy is backsliding, and the civil society space shrinks more and more.

2. On November 23, 2021, Doo-Hwan Chun, the former South Korean military dictator, died without admitting what he committed against the Gwangju people and apologizing for the 1980 massacre in Gwangju. The responsibility for responding to the unresolved issues of the Gwangju massacre has been left to survivors. Also, the truth about state violence in many countries is not discovered, including Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. These issues still remain and are scattered globally, and victims are suffering from damage and trauma.

3. Additionally, we would like to address the contemporary situations in various countries across Asia, including the crisis in Myanmar (i.e., severe human rights violations and a threat to democracy in Myanmar), along with possible countermeasures.

4. The May 18 Memorial Foundation will provide a space for transnational solidarity against state violence, genocide, and enforced disappearance. Together with People’s Empowerment Foundation, Transition Justice Workshop will invite those who work in the sector of civil society in each country to talk about transitional justice and historical reckoning.

5. The May 18 Memorial Foundation in Gwangju will convene the Transitional Justice Workshop both in-person and online from October 4 to October 5, 2022, in which we will discuss the aforementioned challenges, seek potential solutions, and develop effective countermeasures with the participation of experts.

Schedule and Speakers

Date	Time	Events	Speakers	Remark
Oct. 4	~ 14:00	TJ Workshop Ⅰ	Registration and Lunch (Lunch Box)
	14:00~16:30		Moderator: Ms. Chiranuch Permchaiporn (Board member of Peoples Empowerment Foundation) Welcome Remarks: Won Soon-Suk (Chairperson of The May 18 Memorial Foundation)
			Keynote Speaker: Mr. Fabian Salvioli (UN Special Rapporteur on Truth, Justice, and Reparation): Principles for United Nations approach to Transitional Justice Process and Level of Implementation of the Global
			Speakers Ⅰ: Sharing each country’s situation Mr. Tom Andrews (UN Myanmar Human Rights Special Rapporteur) Mr. Pandit Chanrochanakit (Professor, Chulalongkorn University) Mr. Shah Nawaz Shan (Advocacy and Engagement Officer of Islamic Relief Pakistan) Ms. Mary Aileen D. Bacalso (Chairperson, ICAED)
			Speakers Ⅱ: Comparing the situation Mr. Kim Hun-Joon(Professor, Korea University) Ms. Indria Fernida (Regional Coordinator, Asia Justice and Rights
			Discussion and Q&A
			Closing
	17:00~19:00		The May 18 Uprising Photo Exhibition Opening Ceremony at Jim Thompson Art Gallery Welcome Banquet
Oct. 5	10:00 ~ 13:00	TJ Workshop Ⅱ	Moderator: Ms. Bencharat Sae Chua (Professor, Mahidol University)
			Keynote Speaker: Mr. Baik Tae-Ung (Professor of Hawaii University, Former Representative, and former member of UNHRC’s Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances) : Necessary of Implement Transitional Justice and Way of Asia Civil Society
			Discussants Ms. Joanna K. Carino (2019 GPHR laureate, Co-founder of Cordillera People’s Alliance) Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan (2014 GPHR laureate, Secretary General of Odika) Mr. Omar Farok (GRAS-Net) Mr. Joseph (Freelancer Activist)
			Discussion
			Q&A
			Closing
	13:00~15:00		Lunch
	15:00~17:00		GPHR Laureates Meeting (Closed Session)