Din Deng, a radical journal focused on Thailand and Southeast Asia, has published the first Thai translation of Social Ecology: An Ecological Humanism, by ISE co-founder Dan Chodorkoff. A collective of non-aligned like-minded thinkers, writers and translators, the site publishes articles in both Thai and English. Din Deng (ดินแดง) refers to the red coloured dirt of Northeastern Thailand, a land of poverty and exploitation. They write:
Thailand and it’s people have a particularly strong connection to the rich natural world found within it’s borders. Shrines decorate the country, paying homage to the spirits of the land, sea, forest and rivers, to many these spirits are sacred gods, worthy of respect and protection. However much of that wealth is currently being ruthlessly extracted by the capitalist government in Bangkok, which prioritizes growth over not only the ecological, but the spiritual wellbeing of the country, but people are fighting back. Over the past decade environmental movements have cropped up across Thailand, notably in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Loei provinces, as well as the ongoing nationwide mass democracy movement, aimed at dethroning the entrenched power of the military, who constantly hold state and local power hostage through numerous coups and authoritarian repression. In many ways the ideals of Social Ecology have already taken hold in Thailand to some degree. By translating this text we hope to help refine these ideas and show solidarity from abroad by highlighting that the struggle for self determination and ecological justice is a global concern and global movement shared collectively across the planet.
-Din Deng Editorial Team
