Press Release

Beyond “Tolerance”: Living Together with Migrants

A Photo Exhibition & Documentary Video

Mekong Migration Network (MMN) and SEA Junction present Beyond “Tolerance”: Living Together with Migrants, a photo exhibition and documentary video, in collaboration with documentary photographer Mr. John Hulme, in Bangkok from 8-16 October.

The exhibition and documentary include a broad range of photos capturing the aspirations and struggles of migrants in the destination and home countries of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Japan.

Migrants continue to be treated by Mekong governments as if they are purely “temporary”, but how long is “temporary”? How long can one stay somewhere without hoping for a sense of belonging and acceptance? How long before one is allowed to play a full role in society?

The exhibition invites Thai and wider Mekong society to look at what needs to change so that we can go beyond “tolerance” and embrace the friendship and contributions migrants bring to communities.

“Tolerance” suggests that society should “put up” with others despite their differences. In this increasingly interconnected world it is not productive or helpful to differentiate people in such a way. We should instead work towards establishing a society where everyone can live together as equals.

• Photo Exhibition: 8-16 October at SEA Junction, Room 408 (4th floor), Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).
• Opening Event:8 October at 3pm in Room 501 (5th floor), BACC, including a public discussion on the social inclusion of migrants in Thailand from the perspective of migrant workers, civil society organizations, and academics; a Shan performance by migrant members of the Workers’ Solidarity Association; an introduction to the exhibit by Mr. John Hulme the photographer; and a multimedia presentation highlighting the impact of the social exclusion of migrants and their families.
• Photography Discussion: 15 October at 5:30pm at SEA Junction, Room 408 (4th floor), BACC, including a talk by documentary photographer Mr. John Hulme followed by a Q&A period.

Notes to editors:

• For interviews or more information please contact info@mekongmigration.org or:
• (English language) Rebecca Napier-Moore, Mekong Migration Network Associate, rebecca_napier@yahoo.com, ph +66888936068.
• (Thai language) Omsin (Plaii) Boonlert, Mekong Migration Network Research and Advocacy Officer, plaii@mekongmigration.org, ph +6686 923 8313.
• Following the exhibit in Bangkok, the photos will be displayed in:
  • Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21-23 October at Meta House (German Cambodian Cultural Center). For more information contact Sokchar Mom at sokchar_mom@lscw.org.
  • Yangon, Myanmar, 28-30 October at Myanmar Deitta. For more information contact Thet Thet Aung at thet2aung@the88generation.org.
  • Mekong Migration Network (MMN) is a sub-regional network of civil society organisations working towards the protection and promotion of migrants’ rights in the Mekong Sub-region, which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and southern China.  (www.mekongmigration.org, phone/fax: +6653-283259). The exhibition is part of a larger project supported by the Toyota Foundation.
  • SEA Junction (or fully “Southeast Asia Junction”) is a public reading and meeting venue located at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) in Bangkok. SEA Junction aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its realities and socio-cultural dimensions – from arts and craft to the economy and development – by enhancing public access to knowledge resources and by promoting exchanges among students, specialists and Southeast Asia lovers.
  • To view photos and the multimedia documentary online [Available from 8 October 2016], and to access more information on migration in the Mekong, go to: www.mekongmigration.org