Self-translation by an academic in exile: A political remonstrance to the authoritarian regime

Abstract

In the wake of the twelfth successful coup in 2014, Thailand began to crack down on academics critical of the junta’s authority. Many fled to other countries but continue to be politically active, both online and offline. This study examines the case of Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an exiled political scientist and outspoken opponent of the military coup, and his self-translated academic book condemning the illegitimate seizure of power. His original work, A Plastic Nation, and its Thai translation, ชาติพลาสติก Chat Plastic, are closely analysed in terms of intention and intertext. The self-translator has used quotation marks to emphasise key words, adapted terms to reflect local and international concepts, rewrote sections to make new points, and broke with centuries-old norms when mentioning the monarchs in Thai spoken and written discourse. Paratexts also play a crucial role in conveying the ideological stance of the publisher and self-translator towards the military government. They serve as a deliberate reflection in which forms of contention are regenerated with political aspirations to expose the exploitation of Thai nationalism by those in power and to protest the unconstitutional military takeover that sought to preserve the authoritarian legacy. Pavin’s self-translation takes on a new meaning. It could shed some light on what self-translation as academic activism ‘can do’, in addition to what self-translation is.