Political activist Panupong “Mike Rayong” Jadnok has fled to New Zealand
Recently, several media outlets reported that political activist Panupong “Mike Rayong” Jadnok has fled to New Zealand. Mike, a prominent participant in the 2020 protests, has been charged and convicted for his activism on multiple occasions. In May, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for lèse majesté and violating the Computer Crimes Act. On his Facebook page, Mike wrote the following open letter to his friends.
Greetings to all my respected friends
Today I want to use this place to tell the story of the most difficult decision of my life. That was to leave home, family and especially my beloved mother. Because this decision to move to another country was not caused by a desire to leave something behind, but by the necessity and the hope to find a new life that is safer and more free.
I have thought about the decision to leave the country often and carefully. I have weighed again and again how much such a decision will affect someone. But when I think about the consequences, I realize that the cause is not me. The real cause is an unfair legal process. They have been so unfair to so many of us, who have lost our freedoms as a result. The worst of it all is saying goodbye.
I think everyone understands that saying goodbye is not easy. I have to leave Thailand, not because of weakness, but because of the injustice that was done to me, the uncertainty, the restriction of freedom and the inability to express what I believe in. All of that made me decide to choose a new path.
The farewell to my mother is the most painful. You are the last precious treasure I have in my life. But an imposed situation forced us to part. And that farewell is something that cannot be described with words. There will only be tears on my face and the feelings that will remain in my heart.
But despite that sadness and pain, I will always have the hope that one day I can go back and care for my mother in the later years of my life. Or at least build a better future. To ease a mother's worries, to give her comfort, so she can see that her child's future is possible.
And I also hope that I will be the voice for all fighters to inform the society of this country about the oppression, the restriction of freedom of political dissidents in Thailand and to call for freedom for those who are persecuted for dissenting opinions and for all friends who engage in politics as citizens of the world.
With due respect and sincere thanks,
Mike Rayong
***
The name Panupong in Thai is ภาณุพงศ์ – phaa-nóe-phong (middle, high, middle tone). Phaanoe means 'sunlight, brightness' and phong is 'lineage, origin'.
Thanks to Rob V. for corrections and additions.
For more about his flight to New Zealand, see:
Bangkok Post – Fugitive political activist turns up in New Zealand
Activist Mike Rayong leaves Thailand, citing safety and freedom | Thaiger (thethaiger.com)
For more background on his person and the sad events he and other activists experience, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panupong_Jadnok
https://prachataienglish.com/category/panupong-jadnok
About this blogger
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Born in 1944 in Delfzijl as the son of a simple shopkeeper. Studied in Groningen and Curacao. Worked as a doctor in Tanzania for three years, then as a general practitioner in Vlaardingen. A few years before my retirement I married a Thai lady, we had a son who speaks three languages well.
Lived in Thailand for almost 20 years, first in Chiang Kham (Phayao province) then in Chiang Mai where I liked to bother all kinds of Thai with all kinds of questions. Followed Thai extracurricular education after which a diploma of primary school and three years of secondary school. Did a lot of volunteer work. Interested in the Thai language, history and culture. Have been living in the Netherlands for 5 years now together with my son and often with his Thai girlfriend.
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Sad story, let's hope that he can hold his mother in his arms again before too long.