Sam Kalayanee
A longtime Thai ally of the movements for democracy and ethnic rights in Burma has passed away. Sam Kalayanee, known to many simply as P’ Sam, was an active photographer and filmmaker, and was involved in the founding of both Images Asia and MAP Foundation.
The Irrawaddy’s obituary begins as follows:
‘In 1988, when thousands of young Burmese student activists arrived at the Thai-Burmese border, many enthusiastic supporters of Burma’s democracy movement came to the border to share their lives with the “Student Army,” also known as the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), that was born in the terrain controlled by several ethnic armed groups. Sam Sittipong Kalayanee was one of them. As a former Thai student activist, he supported the struggle for democracy and justice in his neighboring country, and as a photographer, he recorded it for history.’
These images are from the slideshow posted with the Irrawaddy obituary. Top, Sam himself (2010); above, Sam with Nic Dunlop in the Shan mountains (2008); and below, Sam (right) with two members of the KIA at the former Kachin headquarters in Pa-Jau on the Chinese border. See here for more.
