TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A total of 25 journalists and media communications professionals participated in a training entitled "Preventing Mass Atrocities in the Context of Migration in ASEAN" in Bangkok, on July 6-8, 2026.
The event, facilitated by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Law, was held with funding from the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG).
"The reason we're training various professions, which this time happens to be journalists, is so they understand genocide, mass atrocities, and what the conditions will be like in 2026 in each country," said Ana Maria Rodriguez, Global Coordinator of AIPG's Bruno and Suzanne Scheidt Refugee Protection Program, on Wednesday, as quoted by ANTARA.
"Then, the journalists who have received capacity building develop a project that can be implemented in the field. That way, we can measure whether they are making an impact," Ana added.
Journalists also had the opportunity to explore several journalistic aspects in covering migration and refugee issues, prioritizing the humanitarian side and avoiding hate narratives.
A number of academics and practitioners filled the training session, such as Dr. Vitit Muntarbhorn from Chula University Law School who explained the legal framework related to mass atrocities.
There are also Nicha Wachpanich and Nathapob Sungkate, two HaRDstories journalists who highlight the role of responsible journalistic work in countering misleading information circulating on social media about refugees.
Migration, according to Ana, is raised in this context because it is the first point at which vulnerable groups are formed to become victims of mass atrocities or other human rights violations.
Telly Nathalia, a participant from Indonesia, stated that although she has often raised migration issues in her journalistic writing and even carried out advocacy, she learned a lot through this training.
"It turns out that the issue of migration is very broad, not just about asylum seekers or refugees due to disasters. There are many segments of migration. When we are journalists, the most important thing is the principle of do no harm," said the woman, familiarly known as Lia.
Lia understands the principle of "do no harm” as an effort to ensure that news coverage remains humane towards vulnerable groups.
According to her, even when faced with a deadline, journalists are better off delaying for a while rather than rushing to report something that could have a negative impact on sources from vulnerable groups.
Another participant from Thailand, Fiza Awan, shared a similar view. As a recent journalism graduate from Chula and a former intern at a media company, she emphasized that narratives can be harmful to others.
"The narratives we adopt, sometimes without us realizing it, can be dangerously framed. So, even though we have to work with limited time, journalists must still be careful in writing and publishing news," said Fiza.
Furthermore, for Fiza, the training, which brought together participants from various countries under the ASEAN banner, was important for networking and gaining a deeper understanding of the situations and conditions occurring in each neighboring country.
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