The Bulletin

Stephff's world

From ballots to bullets: Myanmar’s crisis and post–sham election outlook

Monday, 15 December, 10am

Myanmar’s military will stage what many communities inside the country call a “sham election” — marked by coercion, forced participation and heavy military operations in contested areas. While government-controlled media frames the vote as a milestone toward stability, local journalists, activists and civil society networks report a starkly different reality: intensified pressure on civic actors, expanded military conscription, arrests and renewed violence across multiple regions.

The panel brings together non-violent strike leaders and civic organizers from inside Myanmar, joining both in-person and live online from locations within the country, to share firsthand accounts of conditions leading up to the vote. Their participation offers rare visibility into the risks faced by citizens resisting the process, the mechanisms of coercion deployed by the junta, and how communities are preparing for the post-sham-election landscape.

The discussion will explore urgent questions defining Myanmar’s democratic resistance in the months ahead:

●    how grassroots actors sustain resistance under escalating repression

●    how to build coordination across diverse regions and movements, and

●    what strategies are emerging for the post-election environment.

This event does not endorse or legitimize the sham electoral process. Instead, it centers on its consequences and the people’s continued struggle to build a genuine federal democratic future—one defined by consent, not coercion.

In addition to the discussion, the event will feature a short visual exhibition of cartoons and video works created in Myanmar as part of the nationwide anti–sham elections campaign.These works visualize the stories, humor, fear and defiance of those resistingt he process, offering a rare and powerful window into the emotions driving non-violent resistance.

This panel discussion will provide Burmese to Thai translation.

Speakers:

Aye Myint Aung Aung, head of department of humanitarian and emergency management, Mandalay Interim Governing Council.

Bhone Thit, General Strikes Collaboration Body.

Khant Wai Phyo, Monywa People’s Strike Leading Committee.

Hnin Hnin Hmwe , joint-general secretary, Democratic Party for A New Society.

Moderator: Thet Swe Win, executive director, Synergy-Social Harmony Organization.

Free and open to all.

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Transnational repression and the forced return of Montagnard rights advocate and refugee Y Qing Bdap

Monday, 15 December, 7pm

To mark International Human Rights Day, which is celebrated on December 10, the FCCT has organized a panel about the continued fight against transnational repression in Thailand.

On November 28, the Thai government deported UNHCR-recognized refugee Y Qing Bdap, the co-founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice, back to Vietnam over the objections of his lawyers and many civil society organizations who claim that he will face ill-treatment and torture.

Upon arrival, Y Qing Bdap started serving a ten-year prison sentence arising from a trial in which he was tried in absentia in politically motivated proceedings that were neither free nor fair since the judge and court were completely controlled by the Vietnamese government and ruling Communist Party.

Thailand acted over the objection of UN agencies and many Bangkok-based embassies which urged them to let Y Qing Bdap resettle as a refugee to a third country with his wife and children, who are now left behind in Bangkok.

The decision was a striking setback for human rights activists and those seeking to combat transnational repression between Thailand and its authoritarian neighbors. Equally important, Thailand again failed to uphold the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, which was passed in 2022 with much fanfare and international praise for Thailand. Article 13 of that law explicitly prohibits Thai officials from acting to “expel, deport, or extradite a person to another country where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or enforced disappearance."

The Vietnamese government placed intensive pressure on the Thai government, prosecutors, and the judiciary to return Y Qing Bdap, and ultimately prevailed when the initial court refused to substantively rule based on the torture and enforced disappearance act, essentially ceding discretion for the ultimate determination to the relevant Thai ministries. That decision was upheld on November 27 by a court of appeal that called a hurry-up hearing, giving defense attorneys 24 hours to act.

To discuss these issues raised by the forced return of Y Qing Bdap, and the larger question of ongoing Thai cooperation with acts of transnational repression by neighboring authoritarians in Vietnam, China, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia, the following speakers will appear:

Nadthasiri Bergman, defense lawyer for Y Qing Bdap.

Cynthia Veliko, regional representative, Southeast Asia, Office of UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR).

Sanhawan Srisod, associate international legal advisor, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).

Representatives of the Royal Thai Government TBA

Moderator: Phil Robertson, director, Asia Human Rights & Labour Advocates (AHRLA) and FCCT board member.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 300 baht, students and Thai press with ID 150 baht.

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The upcoming election in Myanmar: Democratic opportunity or farce?

Wednesday, 17 December, 7pm

On 1 February 2021, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the Myanmar military launched a coup that prevented the newly elected National League for Democracy government from assuming office, claiming that the NLD’s landslide win was plagued by electoral irregularities. Now the Myanmar junta is planning its own election, with the first round of polls set to take place on 28 December, followed by a second round on January 11, and a final round due at the end of the month.  

What’s the likely outcome of this electoral exercise, and will it be free or fair? How will polls even be held, given the fact that fighting continues across many parts of the country between the military and an array of ethnic armed organizations and peace defense force militias? Given the resistance’s serious opposition to the polls, will conducting elections result in a further uptick in violence and possibly even worsen the situation? Finally, will the elections result in any changes to Myanmar’s current governance, its political future, and its international standing? These and many other questions are being asked by government officials, diplomats, journalists, civil society groups and others who will be watching the elections closely.

Join us for a pre-election discussion with a panel of Myanmar experts who are watching these developments:

Confirmed panelists:

Khin Ohmar, veteran Burmese political activist.

Amael Vier, election analyst, Myanmar program, Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL).

Debbie Stothard, coordinator/founder, ALTSEAN-Burma.

James Rodehaver, chief, Myanmar team, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Moderator: Phil Robertson, director, Asia Human Rights & Labour Advocates (AHRLA) and FCCT board member.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 450 baht, students and Thai press with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

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From construction sites to battlefields: The migrant workers crisis from temporary to a never-ending problem‍

‍Thursday, 18 December, 10.00am

Press briefing: Key issues facing migrant workers in 2025 and emerging concerns for 2026

• Summary of migrant workers situation in 2025

Speaker: Roisai Wongsuban, Migrant Working Group (MWG)

• Cambodian workers returning to their home country and the economic value of longans in the Eastern region

Speaker: a representative of Kasikornthai Research Center (TBC)

• Life of migrant workers after the dust settles: Result of the collapse of the Office of the Auditor General construction building
  Speaker: Worachai Sanansuk, Raks Thai Foundation

• One year of the government and the order to shut down migrant learning centers — more gain than loss, or more loss than gain?
  Speaker: Laddawan Lakkaew, Foundation for Rural Youth (FRY)

Panel discussion: “Thailand’s Opportunities Through a Comprehensive Management Strategy for Migrant Workers”

• The Minister of Labour and the never-ending migrant-worker management system
  Speaker: Adisorn Kerdmongkol, Migrant working Group (MWG)
• Migrant workers and Thailand’s seafood industry in the Blue Economy
  Speaker: Nattawut Kasem, Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)

• Employers’ ordeals from failed policies and corruption
  Speaker: Nilubon Phongpayom, Group of Entrepreneurs with Foreign Workers

• Myanmar election 2025 and trends in migration flows caused by the political unrest

Speaker: Dr.Sirada Khemanitthathai,  the Office of International Relations, Chiangmai University

‍Free and open to all.

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Gofundme appeal for Al Rockoff

After American military veteran and war photographer Al Rockoff appeared to have lost control of the archive he risked his life so often to create, friends in the US set up a Gofundme appeal to help with his rent, moving and legal assistance.

Vicki Bornas, Rockoff’s longtime partner, is his unpaid caretaker. She has had to forego work in order to look after him, and is overseeing use of the funds.

Graham Bowley recently spent four days in Florida with Rockoff preparing a detailed report on his plight for The New York Times entitled ‘Al Rockoff’s war is still being fought’.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rockoff was a regular visitor to the FCCT, and there has been much concern among his many friends here over his unexplained absence in recent years.

Rockoff has never completed the book of his life’s work so often discussed. He was portrayed by John Malkovich in The Killing Fields, the 1984 Oscar-winning film about the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge in 1975. It was a complimentary depiction he never liked.

Rockoff’s Gofundme has so far raised over $3,500 and can be found here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-al-rockoffs-housing-and-archive-battle

Please consider donating.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/arts/design/al-rockoff-war-photography-killing-fields.html?unlocked_article_code=1.208.1KYU.cMe4thRscKTz&smid=url-share

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Co-working at the FCCT

Tuesday, 16 December, 10am

Need a change of scenery from your home office? Join us for a coworking day at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) -- a perfect space for working professionals, digital nomads and anyone looking to break free from the home-office routine.

Enjoy a spacious, comfortable workspace with dedicated tables, a full restaurant, café and bar and exclusive lunch specials just for this event.

Whether you're tackling deadlines or networking with like-minded professionals, this is an opportunity to be productive in a collaborative, social environment. Come work, connect, and enjoy great food because working remotely doesn’t have to mean working alone.

Hosted by Nick Bernhardt, FCCT board member and managing director of Khayan Consultants and Tommy Walker, FCCT board member and digital nomad.

Free and open to all.

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Board games night

‍Tuesday, 16 December, 7pm

Join us for a chilled night of board games with The Boring Club. Try your luck with classics like chess and backgammon or modern games including Catan and Pandemic.The bar and restaurant will be open. Try our pizzas from the new pizza oven. The Boring Club meets at the FCCT clubhouse for games every Tuesday at 7pm.

Free and open to all.

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FCCT pub trivia

Friday, 26 December, 7pm

Gather your friends and colleagues for a night of pub trivia at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.Come for a bite and a beverage and test your knowledge. 1,000 baht bar tab up for grabs for the winning team, to be redeemed on the night.Advanced table bookings encouraged here.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

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Beyond the badge: Crime, justice, and the FBI in Thailand

Book discussion and Q&A,
Wednesday, 21 January, 7pm

Retired FBI Agent John Schachnovsky says the 10 years of his 25-year law enforcement career that he spent as the FBI representative to Thailand was the highlight of his career.  When he retired in 2019, he recognized there was so much he could write about his unique career and his time in Thailand. Beyond the Badge explores how the trust, goodwill, and long-term relationships he built with his Thai counterparts lead to the capture of numerous dangerous criminals in cases that transcended borders. Providing a behind the scenes view of high-profile incidents like the shocking death of famous Hollywood actor David Carradine at a high end hotel in Bangkok, the apprehension of a notorious kidnapper subject to an Interpol Red Notice, the extradition of a suspect in the murder of a United States Marine, and responding to overseas terrorism, Beyond the Badge takes you to the frontlines international crime in Thailand and the region.John will share the highlights of his journey in Thailand with the FBI and explain how he did his work as the FBI’s “man in Bangkok”. His presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the author, and there will be opportunities to purchase the book at the event.

Speaker: John Schachnovsky, author of Beyond the Badge-Crime, Justice, and the FBI in Thailand.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 300 baht, students and Thai press with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.