Beyond Merely Impoverishment: Representation of Rohingya in Thailand through Alternative Media

In recent years, Rohingya arrivals in Thailand have drawn tremendous public attention. While media and academia have been the main sources in representing the Rohingya image to the international community, self-representation by the Rohingya are emerging on alternative media through their negotiation. Since there has been more than a single wave of Rohingya migration into Thailand, the Rohingya in Thailand are very diverse in terms of social and economic status. Diversity of Rohingya in Thailand revolves around their field of interests including trade, religion or humanitarian aid. In the midst of scattered and overwhelming information, Rohingya issues have become more or less, a controversy serving religious or political ideals. This paper tries to show how Rohingya are represented through alternative media of organizations which are White Channel and Amnesty International Thailand. This study employs participatory approach and interview. Through the notion of Representation, it explains the characteristics of Rohingya across the media. The findings show that the Rohingya aim to present a new image by engaging in the alternative to create representation to respond and counter their reputation of being victims which have been invented by the Burmese government and the global mainstream media