Waraporn Utairangsee

Thailand

Waraporn Utairangsee is a female Thai human rights lawyer, who has been especially active in ethnic minority defense and has been working for the Rising Sun Law Co., Ltd. in Thailand.

She first made headlines in 2011, when she took on the legal representation of the indigenous minority group Karen, which was evicted forcefully with fire from its long-established community in the Kaeng Krachan National Park. After she won this case, Ms. Waraporn was reported to the police by Mr. Chaiwait Limlikhitaksorn, the former Chief of the Kaeng Krachan National Park in 2021 , for allegedly spreading false information about a criminal case.

Ms. Waraporn reported this criminal case against Mr. Chaiwat for burning ethnic Karen villages and forcible eviction of the villagers this village in Kaeng Krachan National Park during 5 to 9 May 2011. Mr. Chaiwat disputes this course of events and has accused Ms. Waraporn and her client, spiritual leader Mr. Ko-I Mimi of the Karen ethnic group of providing false information about a criminal event. According to reports received by Lawyers for Lawyers, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled on 6 October 2016 that the actions of the Kaeng Krachan National Park’s officers, led by Mr. Chaiwat between 5 to 9 May 2011, were unlawful.

Nonetheless, Chaiwat’s complaint led to an arrest warrant for Ms. Waraporn in September 2022. Mr. Chaiwat is currently the director of the Protected Areas Regional Office 9 Ubon Ratchathani after the Administrative Court, on 27 July 2022, suspended an order from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission expelling him from public service.