Thai Army Ordered By Court To Halt Problematic Trans Classification

I talked about this issue that Thai transpeople face when they are disqualified for military service by labeling them as mentally ill.

There has been a lawsuit filed, activism centered on the issue and changes to that policy are being discussed in the 'Land of Smiles'..  

Because the birth records of Thai transwomen are not changed to reflect the persons they are now, after age 18 they are subject to being conscripted into the Thai military.  The Thai army routinely disqualifies transpeople and when doing so classifies them in their conscription documents as having a 'permanent mental disorder'.

Because people considered male in Thailand have to present those conscription documents when applying for jobs at government agencies or private companies to confirm they have fulfilled their military obligations, that classification can have deleterious effects on your employment prospects as Samart Meecharoen discovered in 2005.  

She filed a lawsuit against defense officials in 2006 to end the practice and yesterday the Central Administrative Court, which handles lawsuits concerning the performance of government officials, ordered the Thai Army to end the practice of labeling transpeople they reject for service with that term.

The Bangkok based court said that the label was inaccurate and unlawful.    The court did not bar the military from rejecting transpeople nor did it mandate new language to put on the conscription documents, but Meecharoen was happy with the verdict.

"Now we will no longer be viewed as crazy people," Meecharoen said.

Thai Defense spokesman Col. Thanatip Sawangsaeng said the ministry will comply with the ruling, and has proposed "current sexual status does not match that of birth" as the new phrasing for conscription documents, pending the necessary Cabinet resolution to take effect.

But thanks to Samart Meecharoen for not only standing up for her dignity and human rights, but for the human rights of all her fellow Thai transpeople.

We'll Keep Fighting For You, Aleesha

Not long after a Malaysian judge refused to approve her name change, 26 year old Aleesha Farhana, who had undergone SRS in Thailand in 2009, was admitted to a hospital 500 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur where she later died of a heart attack on August 1.

High Court judge Yazid Mustafa ignorantly denied your request on July 17 to simply have your name and national identity card reflect the woman you were on the inside and outside.  Because of his faith based transphobia Mustafa couldn't see what is breathtakingly obvious to the rest of us.

While sadly it didn't happen for you in your all too brief lifetime, your transsisters and transbrothers in Malaysia and elsewhere will not give up the fight to have trans human rights respected and protected not only in your homeland, but around the globe.

Our cause is just, and your fellow trans Malaysians are determined to not let your death be in vain.  They are also tired of having their human rights disrespected in their homeland.  Other Asian and Islamic countries such as Singapore, India, Nepal, Iran and Egypt recognize transpeople and it's past time for Malaysia to do so as well.

We'll keep fighting for you Aleesha and every transperson on Planet Earth until all our nations recognize that the human rights they covet for themselves, that are ensconced in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and embedded in the various constitutions of the nations we inhabit also apply to trans human beings as well. 

Rest in peace Aleesha knowing that the world mourns your loss, stands with you and your Malaysian trans family as well and the fight will continue.