On 7–8 August 2026, Assistant Professor Tinnalapat Chupanthanarakul, Head of the Research Center, School of Law, Walailak University, conducted field research with the Maniq ethnic community in Manang District, Satun Province.

The fieldwork formed part of a broader research study covering Satun, Songkhla, Trang, and Phatthalung Provinces, with the aim of developing a deeper understanding of the Maniq people’s way of life, identity, and human rights situation within their local contexts.

This fieldwork was not simply an opportunity to learn about the community’s way of life and culture. More importantly, it provided an opportunity to listen to community voices and examine the extent to which “rights guaranteed by law” can be realized in people’s everyday lives.

Key areas of focus included:

⚖️ Human rights and human dignity

👷 The right to work and labor protection

📚 The right to education and opportunities for children and young people

👧 Child protection while respecting cultural identity and traditional ways of life

At the heart of this research is the recognition of the Maniq people as “rights holders,” rather than merely recipients of assistance. The study also examines how laws, policies, and state mechanisms can be developed to ensure that rights protection genuinely reflects the community’s way of life, identity, and social context.

The knowledge and insights gained from the field will be further developed into legal research and presented through international academic forums, connecting community voices with the development of laws and human rights policies concerning ethnic communities. The initiative also highlights the role of legal research in fostering greater understanding and promoting rights protection that responds to the diversity of society.

Because genuine rights protection should not begin solely with what is written in the law—it must begin by listening to the people whom the law is meant to protect.