This article is based on my talk at the Harvard Asia Center on October 24, 2024. I would like to extend my gratitude to Prof. James Robson, the former director of the center and now the director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, for kindly introducing me. I am deeply honored that Sam Yan Press has been recognized at such a prestigious institution.
By Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and Settanant Thanakitkoses
Sam Yan Press was founded in 2017 during a time when Thailand was under military junta rule. Academic freedom was severely restricted, with many people being arrested and detained. The threat of being sent to an “attitude adjustment camp” loomed over those who dared to speak out. Even some of the seminars I organized, which were unrelated to the political situation, were abruptly halted by soldiers. This sense of oppression became the norm, and many felt a deep sense of hopelessness. We wondered: Where was our future heading?
Despite the pressure of living under a dictatorship, we sought to find meaning. How could we prepare for the moment when the regime would eventually fall? How could we prevent our society from sliding back into authoritarianism? These were the questions that preoccupied me as a young student activist. Protests might not always be possible or effective, especially under constant surveillance. So, what could we do to make a difference in such a suffocating environment?
In my search for answers, I found inspiration not from contemporary Thailand but from historical figures and thinkers who faced similar struggles. I looked to individuals like Benjamin Lay, the radical abolitionist who fought against slavery at a time when even religious leaders accepted it as natural. He advocated for animal rights long before it became a movement and challenged the exploitative practices of colonialism. Similarly, Simone Weil and Hannah Arendt, who fled the Nazis, sought to find meaning and cultivate critical thinking in a deeply troubled world. Liu Xiaobo and Xu Zhangrun in China, despite facing harsh repression, continued to write with the hope of challenging the normalization of authoritarianism in their country.
What I learned from these figures is that the fundamental questions of human existence—about society, morality, and the search for truth—are universal. Although our contexts may differ, we are all grappling with similar challenges: how to confront lies, hatred, and closed-mindedness.
In Thailand, we often find ourselves trapped in a narrow ideological framework, where questioning authority is discouraged. We lack an open-minded society willing to embrace diverse viewpoints. Immanuel Kant famously urged people to “dare to think,” a principle of the Enlightenment that emphasizes the importance of reason. Whether or not one agrees with the ideals of the Enlightenment, it is undeniable that cultivating the capacity to reason is essential for any society. Without this, we risk becoming vulnerable to manipulation, and our democracy becomes hollow.
The recurrence of military juntas in Thailand is not solely due to the ambitions of a few power-hungry individuals. It is also because society has come to accept military intervention as normal. The obedience ingrained in our culture, where people are expected to follow orders without questioning, makes it easier for authoritarian regimes to take hold.
However, I believe that many young people in Thailand today want change. They possess incredible creativity and leadership potential. But dialogue alone will not suffice if we lack the resources to nurture imagination and empathy. How can we effectively resist a future coup if we don’t have the literature and knowledge to guide us? Imagine how much stronger our progressive movements could be if we learned from the experiences of others—understanding both their successes and their failures.
Democracy can only advance if we address the concept of epistemic injustice—the idea that some voices and perspectives are systematically excluded from public discourse. Concepts like “Good Ancestor,” “Existential Risks,” “Animal Welfare,” “Climate Crisis,” and “International Solidarity” remain mere buzzwords without books, essays, and materials that allow us to deeply engage with these ideas. We need language and frameworks to understand these issues fully, otherwise, they will remain abstract and ineffective in inspiring action.
This is the mission of Sam Yan Press: to create a space for critical thinking and exploration, free from censorship and narrow ideological constraints. Since our founding, we have aimed to bring impactful literature to Thai readers, selecting works that can inspire reflection and drive social change.
In 2020, during the peak of youth awareness in Thailand, we witnessed students taking to the streets with flags representing Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Uyghurs. Shortly after, the Milk Tea Alliance was born in Thailand. Some researchers noted that our publications, which addressed these issues years before, had played a role in informing and inspiring these movements. In the Thai Parliament, discussions on the Uyghur crisis were informed by our translated books.
Even challenging texts like Hannah Arendt’s “Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship” have been used in university plays to critique police and military actions against protesters. The translation of Vaclav Havel’s “Letters to Dr.Huzek” was smuggled into Laos and shared among activists. Our Thai translation of Byung-Chul Han’s “The Burnout Society” became a bestseller, sparking discussions about the nature of work and the lack of contemplation in modern life.
Isaiah Berlin’s “Two Concepts of Liberty” was translated into Thai after 60 years and is now widely used in philosophy classes, just as Peter Singer’s “Animal Liberation Now” is being taught in ethics courses, inspiring a new generation of animal rights activists.
The revenue from our books not only supports further publications but also funds student activism and projects focused on underrepresented issues like urban justice and cultural heritage preservation. The ripple effects of our translations can be felt across borders and disciplines.
There is still so much work to be done. Many critical ideas remain neglected in Thai society, and there is an urgent need for resources that can inform and shape public discourse. In the digital age, where we are inundated with information, the challenge is to discern and amplify the knowledge that truly matters. At Sam Yan Press, we are committed to this task, humbly striving to bridge the gap between ideas and action.
I am grateful to be here at Harvard to share the vision of Sam Yan Press. We believe in the transformative power of ideas, and we are honored to continue our work at the margins, bringing forth the literature that can help shape a more thoughtful, open, and democratic society.
Special Thanks to Writers Who Support Us:
- Prof. Peter Singer, Princeton University
- Prof. Perry Link, Princeton University
- Prof. Timothy Snyder, Yale University
- Prof. Tommie Shelby, Harvard University
- Prof. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, UC Irvine
- Prof. Marcus Rediker, University of Pittsburgh, and David Lester
- Late James C. Scott, Yale University
- Roman Krznaric
- The Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation
- Prof. Byung-Chul Han
- Prof. Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Late Barbara Ehrenreich
- Ian Johnson
- Henry Hardy, Trustee of the Isaiah Berlin Literary Trust
- Prof. Avishai Margalit
- Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass
And many more…