Human Trafficking of Rohingya Refugees Across Southeast Asia: A Documentary Screening and Roundtable with Whistleblower Paween Pongsirin

Description

The documentary screening of “Thailand’s Fearless Cop” is organised in anticipation of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (July, 30th). The primary aim in organising this documentary screening was to raise awareness of the plight of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia who face the threat of human trafficking on a daily basis. The event will also explore rights to freedom of speech and how whistleblowers and activists shape discourses surrounding human trafficking within contexts where media and other forms of communication face censorship.

We are privileged to be joined by the former Police Major General Paween Pongsirin, the focus of the feature film, who formerly led the Thai response to human trafficking/exploitation of Rohingya across Thailand’s borders with Myanmar and Malaysia and who now lives in exile in Australia.  

The evening will start with opening remarks from award-winning journalist, author, and Professor of Journalism at Macquarie University, Peter Greste. Following the documentary screening, Paween will be joined in conversation by Mr Mohammad Rauf (Arakan Rohingya Development Association-Australia) and Professor Catherine Renshaw (Western Sydney University) about the ongoing challenges facing Rohingya within a variety of authoritarian contexts across Southeast Asia. 

Subject

The event was well attended by over 150 audiences including academics, students, journalists, NGOs, as well as members of the Thai and Roginya communities in Australia.