“Our voices may be small, but we want to help strengthen communities across ASEAN. We believe that people can only truly live together through peace and understanding.”
This simple yet powerful belief has guided Patima Tungpuchayakul, Founder of the Labour Protection Network (LPN), for more than two decades.
While conversations today often focus on borders and differences, Patima’s work reminds us that every person deserves the same dignity, regardless of where they come from or the language they speak.
At LPN, that belief takes many forms. The organization supports refugee children living in Thailand by helping them access education and the protection every child deserves. It works alongside migrant workers who have experienced wage theft or labour exploitation, helping them understand and claim their rights. LPN also works to protect fishermen from forced labour and human trafficking while promoting safer working conditions throughout the fishing industry.
For Patima, hope is not an abstract idea.
“Hope is opportunity.”
When people are given the opportunity to learn, work, and rebuild their lives, they are able to move forward with dignity.
What continues to give her the greatest hope, however, is the next generation.
Patima believes that young people have the curiosity and determination to create meaningful change. But before changing the future, they first need to understand the present. Learning about today’s social challenges, listening to different perspectives, and understanding history all help create lasting solutions rather than temporary ones.
It is a belief rooted in LPN’s own story. Some of the organization’s earliest efforts were supported by young volunteers and interns who simply wanted to help. Their commitment became part of a much larger movement for justice.
That is why Patima continues to invest in young people. She believes they bring fresh perspectives, ask important questions, and imagine possibilities that others may overlook. Their energy has the power to shape a more inclusive and compassionate society.
Her work has also reached audiences around the world through the award-winning documentary Ghost Fleet. The film sheds light on the hidden reality of human trafficking and forced labour within Southeast Asia’s fishing industry, an issue that remained largely invisible to the public for many years.
The documentary follows Patima and the LPN team as they search for trafficked fishermen, reunite survivors with their families, and support them as they rebuild their lives. At the same time, Patima worked closely with international journalists and media organizations to bring global attention to labour exploitation in the seafood industry. By exposing these abuses, her advocacy helped increase international scrutiny of companies linked to forced labour and contributed to broader conversations about accountability throughout global supply chains.
For Patima, protecting human rights has never been about speaking for others. It is about creating opportunities for people to reclaim their voices, their dignity, and their future.
Perhaps that is where hope begins.
Watch full interview: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DawYeDrvnUi/?igsh=M2p5MDZ3czRzNTVi
