{"id":19654,"date":"2025-09-26T07:20:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T07:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/?p=19654"},"modified":"2025-10-09T04:03:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T04:03:34","slug":"friday-future-lister-why-human-rights-leader-piyanut-nute-kotsan-believes-change-starts-small","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/th\/2025\/09\/26\/friday-future-lister-why-human-rights-leader-piyanut-nute-kotsan-believes-change-starts-small\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday Future Lister: Why Human Rights Leader Piyanut \u201cNute\u201d Kotsan Believes Change Starts Small"},"content":{"rendered":"

From her role as Executive Director of Amnesty International Thailand to grassroots advocacy, Piyanut Kotsan dedicates her life to human rights\u2013telling us that every small action builds a stronger future and change doesn\u2019t need a big stage.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When people think about Thailand\u2019s human rights landscape, the headlines often speak of crackdowns, protests, and shrinking freedoms. But behind those stories are people who refuse to let hope fade. At the centre of this story is Piyanut Kotsan, a human rights advocate who has spent more than two decades standing alongside communities, youth, and civil society across Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than letting obstacles silence her, Piyanut has turned each challenge into fuel for commitment. Whether standing beside young activists, listening to marginalised communities, or creating space for children to dream, she carries a conviction that change begins at the grassroots and grows through collective courage. Let\u2019s explore her journey and the vision that guides her work toward a future where rights and dignity are never out of reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy of Amnesty International Thailand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Piyanut\u2019s Journey to Amnesty<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Piyanut grew up in the northeast of Thailand, and both of her parents were teachers. From an early age, she saw the contrast between rural life and the opportunities education could provide, as her parents let her and her sisters to assist them in teaching in rural schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While studying at Mahidol University International College, Piyanut began engaging in deeper conversations about inequality. Together with her classmates, she initiated a volunteer teaching project in the northeast, her first step in turning awareness into action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piyanut joined Amnesty International Thailand in the wake of the 2014 military coup, first as Interim Director in 2015, and then as Executive Director from 2016 to April 2025. Those years were marked by constant challenges including restrictions on freedom of expression, limits on assembly and association, and unresolved cases of torture and enforced disappearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under her leadership Amnesty Thailand spoke out on issues often considered too sensitive or dangerous, from freedom of expression and assembly to enforced disappearance. She shared with Koktail:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOne of the most remarkable moments was during the mass protests, when Amnesty spoke up publicly despite organisational threats. We ensured that the voices of young people, activists, and even children who joined the protests were recognised and protected. For me, the achievement was not only surviving those times but also helping to make visible the courage of ordinary people demanding their rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For Piyanut her approach has never been about being a leader alone; she stands alongside young people, valuing their voices. She sees her generation and her colleagues at Amnesty as facilitators by sharing experiences, opening doors, and providing support, rather than making decisions for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Amnesty she invested in capacity building, seed funding, training of trainers, and human rights education to give young people and marginalised communities the tools and space to lead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe organised human rights education trips and workshops, but the most powerful part was watching young people create articles, videos, and other creative work to amplify these voices. We were only the medium; they were the echo that made the issue louder and impossible to ignore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Amnesty International Thailand (@amnesty_thailand)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n