The Assembly of the Poor (Thai: สมัชชาคนจน) (AOP) is a
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
(NGO) in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Its aim is to help those affected by development projects and industries to become involved in the process of development, so that they benefit from those projects.
The Assembly of the Poor is intended to be a political voice for villagers and marginalized members of society. As an organization, it is allied with other
NGOs
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
in Thailand. When the Assembly of the Poor first began, it was accused of dismantling Thailand's unity and the democratic principles of Thai ideologies. The non-governmental organization is an amalgamation of seven districts representing every region of Thailand. It is composed of
urban and
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are de ...
small-scale agriculturists and manual labourers. Due to its variety of members, the Assembly is able to transcend regional and
class divisions.
Background
In the 1950s, Thailand underwent a plan of development, supported by the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, intended to help the country
industrialize. Subsequent foreign investment in the company's economy assisted it towards meeting its goals, but while it would by the 1990s be considered a leader among developing nations along with other Southeast Asian countries, development was uneven through the country, with unequal distribution of wealth and technology. The agricultural community, which had sacrificed natural resources and contributed significant capital to the development of infrastructure saw few gains for themselves.
Formation
The Assembly of the Poor grew out of this unrest, beginning with villagers angry about the local impact of the
Pak Mun Dam. One of the co-founders of the group, Vanida Tantiwittayapitak had become involved in Pak Mun after her relocation to the country following the
Thammasat University massacre. While it started as a rural assembly, city workers were also welcomed.
The grassroots organization became official on international
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year.
The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Right ...
, 10 December 1995, becoming the first rural political voice after the 1975 suppression of the Peasants' Federation. This took place on the opening day of their first conference, "Assembly of the Poor: The consequences of Large-Scale Development Projects", held at
Thammasat University
Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...
and intended to coincide with the
ASEAN Summit scheduled in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
on 14–15 December.
Conference attendees spent several days developing the "Mun River Declaration", which both announced their existence and criticized the prioritization of industrial development at the expense of local communities. It also fired a warning shot across the bow of government, forming a petition detailing their grievances to the government,
[ punctuated by a march through Bangkok of hundreds of AOP members and sympathizers.
]
Goals
The Assembly of the Poor's first strategy connected the issues suffered by local communities to national policy. Their second was to create a sense of shared identity among those who identified themselves as suffering from developmental policies or being excluded from developmental benefits.[ AOP demands compensation for those injured by developmental strategies and access to resources by their own communities, but does not limit its political activities to self-interest.
]
Challenges
According to the ''Bangkok Post
The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount a ...
'' the recent issues in Thailand have a lot to do with the political actors trying to undermine the AOP.
References
Further reading
* Missingham, Bruce D. ''The Assembly of the Poor in Thailand, From Local Struggles to National Protest Movement'', {{ISBN, 974-9575-28-8.
External links
International Rivers information about the AOP
Political advocacy groups in Thailand
Organizations established in 1995
1995 establishments in Thailand