The oppression of southern Muslims is echoed in discrimination against gays and transgenders

It's ironic that Thunska Pansittivorakul's film "This Area is Under Quarantine" has been banned from the World Film Festival of Bangkok since it deals with state censorship - the clampdown that followed the Tak Bai massacre, superimposed on the lives of two gay men, one a Muslim.

I was looking forward to seeing the movie after hearing about it last year. Thunsaka's thoughts, expressed on www.WorldFilmBkk.com, further piqued my interest.

"In these past few years," he wrote, "there is growing unrest in Thailand. For me, the root of the problem that has never been reviewed is 'Thainess'.

"We are taught to believe that Thai people should have good morals since this is a Buddhist country. That makes our Ministry of Culture spend most of its time on media censorship. Hatred of Muslims occurs in some people's hearts, but they have to hide their true feeling under the 'Thai smile'."

This last sentence sounds similar to the widespread homophobia behind Thailand's brand of "tolerance". Blinded by the tolerance myth, most people are apathetic about discrimination and violence against LGBT citizens.

The suppression of video clips portraying state violence against Muslims maybe the most blatant form of censorship. Meanwhile the more subtle oppression of free expression in terms of gender and sex enjoys wide public support.

Transgenders are still subject to daily, arbitrary bans at venues in many tourist areas and certain educational facilities, as well as in many professions. The great majority of gays and lesbians hide in the closet for fear of jeopardising their careers and personal relationships.

These invisible electric fences and glass ceilings make Thai LGBTs no less a censored minority than our Muslim brothers and sisters.

The expression of LGBT identities is not absent from the film festival, just the same.

Luckily we still have Portuguese director Joao Pedro Rodrigues' "To Die like a Man" and the Thai short film "Bodily Fluid is So Revolutionary".

Several other movies on the programme portray life through the eyes of minorities. Anocha Suwichakornpong's "Mundane History" explores life in a wheelchair, while Riyo Naoi's "The Path of Anna" depicts an HIV-positive woman.

Supamok Silarak's "Colors of Our Hearts" is based on true stories told by migrant workers, stateless persons and northerners.

Would it be too much to dream that these movies might help our society realise that some minority groups are being treated as "less equal" than others?

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