Bangkok, Thailand – Just hours after Yutthana Saisa was detained in northeastern Thailand last month, the 33-year-old was dead. Picked up with his younger brother on suspicion of drug crimes, seven soldiers took the two men to a small Buddhist temple nearby for questioning. Reports say the seven men allegedly subjected him to a violent interrogation in an attempt to force a confession, inflicting wounds that would kill him. “This case shows the use of extreme violence, including abduction,

On a wooded path surrounded by mountains stretching for miles in all directions, Dave Eubank and his team of medics encountered a group of people fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar. “How can we help you?” asked Eubank, dressed in a shade of green that matched the forest blanketing the Myanmar-Thai border. “We want our country back,” one replied. Two Kids Were Playing on a City Street in Myanmar. One Was Shot Dead. The missionary medic from Texas is well-known in Myanmar circles, and the

"They're trying to put me in jail," Panya told VICE News from the undisclosed location abroad. "If they don't shut my mouth, there could be a second, a third, ten, or a thousand monks." Since July, anti-government protesters have held mass demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and for the monarchy's powers to be reduced under a new constitution. While monks in the Buddhist-majority country are not supposed to get involved in politics and can't run for office or

Much of Anchana Heemmina’s work involves listening to stories of immeasurable pain, all part of her campaign to stop the cycle of violence that has long haunted Thailand’s troubled southern provinces. Her work striving for human rights and to prevent torture by state authorities has put Heemmina’s life in danger. It started when her brother-in-law was arrested in 2008, accused of killing state security forces in the south of the country, where an insurgency has for decades been seeking indepen

The young men only had a moment to study the river before rushing into the waist-deep water. The brothers – ranging in age from 15 to 21 – were unfamiliar with the border area and afraid of being seen. On the run from Myanmar’s military, they pushed on into the Thaunggin River. After just a few minutes of wading, they stumbled into no man’s land. Moments after crossing the river, three smugglers dressed in military fatigues met them. After handing over 6,000 Thai baht (US$200) and exchanging a

Part of a series exploring conflict and peace in Thailand’s south. Read more in “ Tired of conflict, Thailand’s deep south women are on the front lines of peace ” and “ Why a COVID-19 ceasefire stumbled in Thailand’s southern conflict .” This article is part of our peacebuilding coverage , reporting on how atrocities can be prevented, how societies can be made more resilient, and how peace can be sustainably built. Thailand’s deep south conflict has disrupted lives and divided communities for t

Facing years of deprivation and bleak future prospects, a growing number of Rohingya women and children are using once-dormant smuggling routes to escape refugee and displacement camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar, rights groups say. Over the last two years, regional authorities have intercepted hundreds of Rohingya risking dangerous boat and overland journeys to leave Bangladesh and Myanmar. On migration trails once dominated by men, a significant proportion are now women and children. Puttanee

Five months have passed since Siam Theerawut’s mother heard that her son had disappeared. Speaking from her home in Bangkok, she tried to hide the pain written on her face. Her daughter, Ink, 32, sat by her side looking down at her hands as we talked. They still have hope that he’s alive. But most of his friends and fellow dissidents doubt that the young activist is alive at all. Most likely, they say, their fellow exile was forcibly disappeared by powerful figures from within the government for