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Thai publisher wins Prix Voltaire for standing up to military, monarchy
Thanapol Eawsakul, executive editor of Same Sky Publishing, was present in person to receive the award during a ceremony at the 33rd International Publishers Association (IPA) Congress in Jakarta over the weekend.
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Thanapol Eawsakul (left), publisher at Thailand’s Same Sky press -- winner of this year’s IPA Prix Voltaire -- onstage on Nov. 10 with Kristenn Einarsson, chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish committee and chief of the Norway-based World Expression Forum, WEXFO. (The Jakarta Post/Courtesy of Publishing PerspectiveT)
Thanapol Eawsakul, executive editor of Same Sky, was present in-person to receive the award during a ceremony at the 33rd International Publishers Association (IPA) Congress in Jakarta over the weekend.
“Same Sky Publishing is a perfect example of a publisher demonstrating their bravery by standing up to intimidation and continuing to publish works they believe in,” said Kristenn Einarsson, chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, in his speech after presenting the award.
Same Sky was founded in Bangkok in 2002 by three former student activists, Thanapol, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Chaithawat Tulatol.
Since its inception, Same Sky has published many academic journals and books in the social sciences and humanities that were deemed to be critical of the political establishment and the country's revered monarchical institutions.
In June this year, Eawsakul was arrested “under charges of violating Thailand’s computer crimes act and sharing classified information that could affect national security”.
The Bangkok Post reported in June this year that about 30 police raided the Same Sky publishing house, but failed to find a book deemed a threat to national security.
"The last two decades of volatility in Thai politics has impeded freedom of speech in Thailand, particularly with regards to the abolition of the monarchy -- something Same Sky’s work seeks to address. As a result, Eawsakul, Same Sky’s executive editor, has had to endure monitoring by state officials attempting to persecute him for sedition," IPA said in a statement to announce the award for Same Sky Publishing.
A number of books published by Same Sky have inspired Thai youths to resist some of the country's military government policies and street protesters brandished some of Same Sky's books during rallies.
Nominees for Prix Voltaire, which is given once in two years, are mostly publishers --individuals, groups or organizations -- who defend freedom to publish, and have continued to publish books despite pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment from various sources.
This year’s shortlist also included independent writer VK Karthika from India, Raul Figueroa Sarti from Guatemala, Nahid Shahalimi from Afghanistan and Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association.
Previous prize recipients include Dar Al Jadeed Publishing House of Lebanon, Liberal Publishing House of Vietnam, Egyptian Publisher Khaled Lotfy, Swedish Hong Kong publisher Gui Minhai (2018),Turkish publisher Turhan Günay and publishing house Evrensel, Saudi blogger Raif Badawi (2016) and Belarusian publisher Ihar Lohvinau (2014).
In his speech delivered after receiving the award, Eawsakul pledged that Same Sky would continue publishing works critical of the Thai political establishment.
"In Thai society the monarchy is the elephant in the room. No one wants to talk about it because there's a lese majeste law, also known as Article 112... but one of our objectives is to continue generating critical monarchy studies and questioning other social phenomena,” he said.
