Agents of Change
She also adds how further content regarding how to deal with homosexuality should be considered. ‘‘If possible, future textbooks should have information with how to deal with being genderconfused, as well as a section for parents on how to deal with having a katoey son. Students today don’t know what to do when they are faced with gender issues because there is no helpful guidance to be found in their readings.
‘‘Kids are so prone to misunderstanding with content that’s clearly outdated. Curriculum content only gets revised here once every 10 years. We can’t remain this way when society is always changing.’’
— Parisa Pichitmarn
‘‘The owner just turned a blind eye. Yes, the zoo is legal, but everyone knows keeping wildlife on the rooftop of a shopping mall is morally wrong,’’ said Sinjira.
Within one month, the petition drew 2,000 signatures, some of them from as far as Argentina and Canada.
Sinjira is not new to activism and campaigning. A former fund-raiser at Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT), she has been campaigning against Pata Zoo for two decades, albeit without much success.
Yet, the online petition at www.change.org.th reignited interest in the notorious zoo.
‘‘I am astonished by the force and speed of the new online platform. Within a short period of time, a hundred or a thousand people in different parts of the world learned about this zoo. In the past, you would have to keep sending petition letters to authorities.’’
What impresses the veteran activist is the data checking and monitoring system that makes sure the campaign sends the right information and truly benefits society.
The petition against Pata Zoo constantly draws online supporters and media. Currently, Thai PBS and a few foreign media outlets are putting the spotlight on Pata Zoo. However, Sinjira is not positive that the victory will come easily.
‘‘I am not overly optimistic that the zoo will be closed. There is a long way to go,’’ she said. But at least the veteran activist has found a powerful new tool.
— Anchalee Kongrut