CHIANG MAI – Dr. Rangsarit Kanchanavanich, widely known as “Mor Maung”, joined a small group of Chiang Mai residents outside the United States Consulate in Chiang Mai to voice opposition to recent US attacks on Iran.
They held signs and issued a public call for peace, saying the world expects the United States to respect international humanitarian law, the rule of law, and moral responsibility.
On March 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM, Dr. Rangsarit, a former faculty member at the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University and a long-time social and environmental advocate, stood in front of the consulate with other local participants. Together, they displayed messages rejecting the escalation and urging accountability.
During the gathering, he read a statement titled “Statement for Peace and Responsibility”. In it, the group said they condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine. They also condemn what Iran’s authoritarian system has done to its own people. Still, they stressed that they must also speak out about what the US government is doing now, because recent military operations have shocked many people around the world.
The Statement Referenced Two Incidents
First, it described an airstrike that hit an elementary school in Iran. The statement claimed about 150 children died, with many others injured. Next, it described a US submarine torpedo attack on an Iranian frigate returning from naval training in India.
According to the statement, the incident happened in international waters. The attack reportedly sank the ship, killed more than 80 crew members, and left survivors in the sea without rescue.
Even in the confusion of war, the statement argued, the world still expects basic standards from a country that often says it stands for the rule of law. Because of that, the group said they expect acknowledgment of facts, real responsibility, and an apology when civilians are harmed.
They also warned that ignoring tragedies like these should worry everyone. International humanitarian law exists to protect civilians, reduce needless suffering, and defend human dignity, even during armed conflict. When powerful countries brush those rules aside, trust weakens, and global norms start to crack.
For many people, the statement added, this feels especially painful because it doesn’t match the America they once admired, a country that, despite its flaws, tried to hold to the rule of law and a sense of moral duty to the world.
Criticism Targets Policy, Not Americans
When a superpower steps away from those principles, the damage spreads far beyond one battlefield. As a result, international trust drops, shared rules lose strength, and peace becomes harder to protect. The message to the US government was direct: war without accountability isn’t acceptable, and violations of humanitarian law can’t be brushed off.
At the same time, the statement made a clear distinction between a government’s decisions and the people it represents. The group said their criticism targets policy, not ordinary Americans.
They described the United States as diverse, with many people who care about justice and peace. History also shows that when Americans speak up in large numbers, their country can change course.
Because of that, the group urged US citizens who feel uneasy about the current direction to raise their voices. In their view, democracy offers not only the right to question leaders, but also the duty to demand a better path.
The statement closed with a final point: the world is watching, not with hostility, but with hope. They hope the American public can help guide their country back toward restraint, responsibility, and peace.
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