The Bangkok Post is by far the best English-language newspaper in Thailand and it’s journalists and columnists some of the country’s best writers (in English, that is). But the opinions, the intellect and the intelligence behind a new article on the Post’s website today, written by Assistant Editor, Sanitsuda Ekachai, surprised even me.
Writing an open article to those who “oppose abortion” in Thailand, Khun Sanitsuda starts off her article targeting anti-abortion activists by saying,
“Let me be direct. When you say you are against abortion because it’s sinful, it’s not your morality talking, it’s your misogyny.
In other words, you’re not driven by compassion, but by a hate for women who you think stray from the “good girl” norms.
Sorry for being blunt. But when nearly 1,000 women in Thailand die each year because your opposition has been preventing them from having access to safe abortions, it’s necessary to ask why you’re allowing your righteousness to take other people’s lives?”
She then goes on to rail on anti-abortion activists not only in Thailand but all over the world who are willing to put women’s lives at risk by denying them abortion, but absolutely not willing to take care of those babies they ‘save’ or the often indigent mother herself when the baby is born. After all, to them, ‘saving’ the baby is the important thing. What happens to that child when it’s born — well, that’s really not their problem.
The article is quite long, beautifully written and for the vast majority of women in Thailand, and elsewhere, something we all think and believe — we’re just not always as eloquent at expressing it.
For those who are pro-choice, please go to the Bangkok Post and read the article and for those who are anti-choice read it also. After all, there has to be a reason why you’re not willing to take care of any of the children you ‘save’, but I have to admit it’s one I don’t understand. After all, how can an unborn baby in a womb, that’s not developed enough to ever survive or take care of itself be important, but a living, breathing, speaking, hearing and thinking child is not? Boggles the mind, doesn’t it.
As for abortion in Thailand it is illegal. It does not, however, stop tens of thousands of Thai women getting abortions every year (I know several that have), nor does it stop a tragic number of those Thai women dying at the hands of backstreet abortionists. Just the same as happened in the west before more developed countries than Thailand made abortion legal.
As a special note — if you do enjoy Khun Sanitsuda’s article targeting anti-abortion activists in Thailand and beyond (if enjoy is the right word?) and would like to refer back to it again, make sure you copy and paste it to your desktop as the Bangkok Post has the unfortunate habit (to the detriment of their income and page views I might add) of deleting the full article after 60 days, unless you pay to read it that is.