Protest In Bangkok Started 18/Jul/2020

[Bigbird]

Cant wait to go BKK!

Sawadeekup!

[Yamato]

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Thai youth protests draw moral support from Hong Kong activists
Taiwan peers also join 'Milk Tea Alliance' for more democracy in rebuff to China

 

Demonstrators march in a protest demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok on July 26.   © Reuters
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentJuly 28, 2020 18:19 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Tweet by tweet, young political activists from Hong Kong who challenged the Chinese government are rallying behind their generational peers in Thailand, where students have resumed protests in Bangkok against the country's pro-military government.

Joshua Wong, one of the faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and 2014 Umbrella Revolution, has tweeted messages of solidarity with Thai demonstrators.

 

Social media support like this gives a fresh, international twist to the return of Thai anti-government protests, which are led by university and high school students.

 

"#Hongkongers will never forget how our Thai fellows stood with us against #China's nationalist trolls," the bespectacled former secretary-general of Demosisto, the now disbanded pro-democracy party, tweeted in the wake of the latest outburst of youthful discontent in Bangkok. "This is the time for us to support them back since we are both fighting for democracy, liberty and a bright future without fear."

 

By Sunday, the second weekend of the Thai protests organized by the Free Youth Movement student network, there were more cross-border messages of solidarity, including a few in Chinese from Hong Kong.

 

"This account from Hong Kong has translated the #FreeYouth protest in Thailand," read a tweet with an attached image of text in Chinese referring to the show of force by Thai youth. "Hongkongers care about our Thai ally and we hope more people can understand your struggles without [a] language barrier."

 

The resumption of the student protests comes after a lull of four months, when the spreading coronavirus pandemic dampened the defiant spirit of the anti-government youth movements that had been gathering strength across Thailand since the start of the year. Their anger has been directed at Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army chief who has held office since May 2014, when he led a military coup to overthrow an elected government.

 

Prominent Thai youth leader Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal said the emerging cross-border political bonds convey shared values by students "who feel oppressed and want more democracy."

 

On Twitter, "we used to show how much the Thai students were inspired by the democracy activists in Hong Kong," said Netiwit, a 23-year-old final-year student at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "We have drawn lessons from our friends in Hong Kong for our protests here."

 

The most notable of the lessons is Thais agitating for change around three clear demands including a new constitution to replace the current charter drafted by allies of the military to entrench the traditionally powerful institution's role in politics. The protests in Hong Kong, by contrast, rallied around five focused demands, including protecting Hong Kong's political freedoms.

 

These spreading online bonds are a nod to the reach of a new, playfully named banner. The "Milk Tea Alliance" serves a serious cause -- standing up for political and civil liberties. The moniker draws from a popular beverage in Asia.

 

It surfaced in the heat of the protests in Hong Kong against the Chinese government's tightening grip in that financial city in April. The spark was a retweet by a Thai television star, Weeraya Sukram, whose twitter monicker is "Nnevvy," that implied the coronavirus had originated in a Chinese laboratory and that Beijing had silenced any investigations -- which triggered a verbal spat initially between enraged mainland Chinese netizens and Thais.

 

An Asian youth brigade of Twitter activists, which emerged from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, was born in its wake. They were united against aggressive nationalism and anti-democratic regimes. Soon, youth from the Philippines joined their Asian peers, angered by what they saw as Chinese heavy-handedness toward the Southeast Asian archipelago.

 

"The Twitter war of words involving the Thais began as a sideshow, but then it became music to the ears of the Hong Kong and Taiwan young activists, because they have been having these running verbal wars for years," said James Buchanan, an analyst of Thai social movements at the City University of Hong Kong. "It was dramatic, almost like a movie, with the Thais arriving like the cavalry to help the Hong Kong youth."

 

The Chinese response to the Thai youth was multipronged, with the initial salvos fired by Chinese netizens who had climbed over the country's internet firewall. "Next came the Little Pinks," said Buchanan, a reference to young cadre of the ruling Communist Party known for their targeted trolling. "The third online wave was paid state agents -- known as the 50 Cent Army."

 

Not surprisingly, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok waded into this pro-democracy wave to silence the Thais -- as it did in late 2019 to reprimand a young Thai opposition politician for associating with Joshua Wong during a visit to Hong Kong. "The recent online noises only reflect [the] bias and ignorance of its maker, which does not in any way represent the standing stance of the Thai government nor the mainstream public opinion of the Thai people," a Chinese Embassy spokesperson posted on the embassy's official Facebook page in April.

 

Beyond that, say Hong Kong-based analysts, the Chinese government has not addressed the political implications the Milk Tea Alliance poses to a region Beijing is prickly about. "The Chinese don't appreciate the magnitude of how the MTA could evolve," according to a risk intelligence consultant who works in Beijing and Hong Kong. "This is partly because social media is controlled in China and they are unable to grasp the reach of social media to mobilize across borders."

 

But an online buzz needs to have a large street presence for a political impact -- now a goal of the Thai youth in the vanguard of the Free Youth Movement. On Sunday, they drew from another foreign culture -- Japan -- to combine a playful tone with strong political undertones at a gathering in Bangkok. They sang protest songs with new lyrics to the tune from "Hamtaro," a popular Japanese cartoon featuring a hamster character.

 

"Because of social media we are getting more amplification, but are we getting enough action to assert political pressure for change?" asked James Gomez, regional director of the Asia Center, a Bangkok-based think tank, as he took stock of the spreading Milk Tea Alliance. "This is where the search is: How much of an online presence by the youth has to be translated into a ground presence for impact?"

[socrates469bc]

these jokers can protest all they want but r any of them willing to spill blood like the thammasat uni students?????

 

if i m the thai military junta, i let these youths protest all they want until they give up.

 

all revolutions r bloody.

[Yamato]

https://prachatai.com/english/node/8709

ByPrachatai

[Full statement] The demonstration at Thammasat proposes monarchy reform

Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, the Student Union of Thailand spokesperson read the first declaration at the Thammasat demonstration on 10 August.

 

Submitted on Tue, 11 Aug 2020 - 11:17 AM

 

The organizer of the demonstration at Thammasat University read their first declaration. It proposes that the monarchy should be reformed in line with democratic principles. The perception toward the monarchy should not be exaggerated.

 

The demonstration was held on 10 August. The proposal toward the monarchy reform has been made even more objectively after the first speech about the monarchy role and deep-rooted Thai political problems by Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer in a demonstration on 3 August.

 

Beside the monarchy issue, other demonstrators also gave speeches about other problem such as labor rights, gender equality and political crisis.

 

United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration

 

Declaration No. 1

 

To the people:

 

Since the People’s Party fomented a revolutionary transformation, the people have hoped that our country would be a democracy with the king as head of state who is truly above politics. But it has not been as such as the king has exercised power to intervene in politics from above. For example, whenever a coup topples a government that has arisen from a real democratic process, the king has signed to appoint the head of the junta. This constitutes the endorsement of each and every coup as legal.

 

Moreover, the king has moved troops and also transferred a significant amount of the national budget to belong to the himself personally. He has exercised extralegal royal authority to amend the constitution, which had already passed a referendum, to allow him to reside outside the kingdom without having to appoint a regent.

 

This could be done because the dictatorship government bowed down under the shadow of the king and continues to claim the monarchy for its own benefit. It can be seen that they mutually benefit. Such a situation constitutes an enemy to the principles of a democracy with the king as head of state. There is no democratic country in which such actions take place.

 

The people ought to know that the king of our country is not above politics. This has consistently been the root of political problems. He has neglected his duties of being the head of state that binds him to the hearts of the people and uses the people’s taxes to seek pleasure and reside outside the country. This takes place while the people are experiencing hardship from economic downturn. He also has close relationships with the rebels who foment coups to topple democratic rule.

 

It is therefore evident that if there are no adjustments made for the monarchy to co-exist with the institutions of the people, the people will necessarily lose faith in the monarchy.

 

The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration therefore makes the following demands in order to resolve the problems with the monarchy:

 

1. Revoke Article 6 of the 2017 Constitution that does not allow anyone to make any accusation against the king. And add an article to allow parliament to examine the wrongdoing of the king, as had been stipulated in the constitution promulgated by the People’s Party.

 

2. Revoke Article 112 of the Criminal Code, as well as allowing the people to exercise freedom of expression about the monarchy and giving an amnesty to all those prosecuted for criticizing the monarchy.

 

3. Revoke the Crown Property Act of 2018 and make a clear division between the assets of the king under the control of the Ministry of Finance and his personal assets.

 

4. Reduce the amount of the national budget allocated to the king to be in line with the economic conditions of the country.

 

5. Abolish the Royal Offices. Units with a clear duty, for example, the Royal Security Command, should be transferred and placed under other agencies. Unnecessary units, such as the Privy Council, should be disbanded.

 

6. Cease all giving and receiving of donations by royal charity funds in order for the all of the assets of the the monarchy to be auditable.

 

7. Cease the exercise of royal prerogative over expression of political opinions in public.

 

8. Cease all public relations and education that excessively and one-sidedly glorify the monarchy.

 

9. Search for the facts about the murder of those who criticized or had some kind of relation with the monarchy.

 

10. The king must not endorse any further coups.

 

These demands are not a proposal to topple the monarchy. They are a good-faith proposal made for the monarchy to be able to continue to be esteemed by the people within a democracy.

 

Therefore, for the monarchy to be secure in the present-day world, it must not hold power related to politics. It should be able to to be controlled, audited, and criticized and it should not be a burden on the people. Then it will be able to be held as the monarchy that is dignified in line with a universal meaning of democracy.

[Yamato]

No longer a simple matter anymore

 

 

[socrates469bc]

37 minutes ago, Yamato said:

No longer a simple matter anymore

 

 

 

the protesters' playbook very simple.

 

trigger a military response to start a civil uprising.

 

the thai pm is taking a leaf out from hk's ce.

 

frustrate the populace.

[Camper]

No jobs no income, all the funny funny pattern come out...

[Yamato]

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Thailand's peaceful student protests press for bold reforms

Demo on Queen Mother's birthday called off, but monarchy under scrutiny

 

Student demonstrators flashing trademark three-finger salutes called for major political reforms during a peaceful demonstration at Thammasat University on Monday.    © Reuters

MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 12, 2020 11:03 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Student protests have been growing in Bangkok with demonstrators openly calling for a change of government, a proper debate on the role of the monarchy and constitutional reforms. There have also recently been smaller protests in over 45 of the kingdom's 76 provinces.

 

Following a demonstration on Monday at Thammasat University, students had planned to stage an afternoon protest in Lumpini Park in the heart of Bangkok on Wednesday -- a public holiday marking Queen Mother Sirikit's birthday that is celebrated nationally as Mother's Day.

 

The event was called off the night before, organizers implied to deny suspected fifth-columnists an opportunity to cause disruption.

 

An even bigger protest is, however, planned for Sunday at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of the capital.

 

Thousands of university students and others turned out on Monday, making it one of the largest political gatherings since the military staged a coup in 2014. Protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his cabinet, and for constitutional amendments.

 

The constitution, Thailand's 20th since 1932, was drafted at the military's behest, and adopted after a national referendum in 2016. It gives 250 military-appointed senators a large say in choosing the prime minister, and an effective veto on constitutional reform.

 

Monday's protest leaders drew applause when 10 reforms to the monarchy were read out by Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, spokesperson for the Student Union of Thailand. These included revocation of the law of lese-majeste, a reduction in public spending on the royal family, a clearer distinction between royal and public assets, and abolition of the privy council along with other "unnecessary units."

 

In past protests, demonstrators have avoided open criticism of the monarchy. Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa broke the taboo when he called for a public debate on the role of the monarchy at a protest held at Democracy Monument on July 18. Arnon was arrested on Friday on a variety of charges, including alleged sedition. He and a colleague were released on bail after some 200 students gathered outside the police station where he was being detained.

 

The political discontent comes at a time of increasing economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia's second largest economy is expected to contract by 8.1% this year, according to the Bank of Thailand.

 

Students have tapped into public resentment by protesting against a justice system that many feel affords impunity to the rich and powerful. Vorayuth Yoovidhya, grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, was accused of killing a police officer while intoxicated in a hit-and-run incident in 2012, but fled abroad before his arrest. The case was quietly dropped by the attorney general's office in January and his legal absolution only surfaced in July.

 

Warnings were issued after Monday's protests. "Whatever they want to rally, let them. But if it is against the law, then it is," said Prayuth in a doorstep interview on Tuesday.

 

"Differing opinions are normal in a democratic system," said Buddhipongse Punnakanta, the digital economy and society minister. "But we have to be careful not to infringe others' rights or offend the country's highest institution," he said in a reference to the monarchy. "Nobody will accept it."

 

Official attempts to contain the situation have included obstructing communications. The students have used YouTube, Facebook and other social media to spread their messages. Invoking the Computer Crimes Act, Buddhipongse called on IT companies to cooperate in taking down "illegal pages."

 

Some royalists and government supporters have also been active, with dozens rallying outside Government House on Monday.

 

"With at least one battalion in each province, we will have the army of people who serve to protect the monarchy," Rianthong Nanna, an ultraroyalist with almost 100,000 Facebook followers, posted on Tuesday, hinting at moves that may be afoot to thwart so far overwhelmingly peaceful protests.

[Yamato]

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Thailand's youth demo evolves to largest protest since 2014 coup

Turnout of over 20,000 at peaceful rally shows growing demand for reforms

Thailand's young demonstrators often wave illuminated cell phones above their heads as a visually striking means of peaceful protest. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 16, 2020 08:51 JSTUpdated on August 17, 2020 02:04 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Thailand's free-speech advocates demanding democratic reforms are winning increasingly open support from academics, celebrities and a broadening swathe of the public as the authorities and royalist establishment attempt unsuccessfully to silence them.

 

Free People, an activist group that morphed out of student-led Free Youth, organized the biggest rally to date on Sunday afternoon at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of Thailand's capital.

 

The Metropolitan Police Bureau put the number of protesters at about 12,000, but a policeman on the ground told the Nikkei Asian Review that around 20,000 had turned out.

 

An experienced foreign observer at the scene estimated the crowd, which stretched into the streets leading off from the monument's large roundabout, to be approaching 25,000.

 

But even the lowest estimates made this by far the largest political gathering Thailand has seen since the military staged a coup in 2014.

 

Three-fingered salutes inspired by the film Hunger Games have been adopted as a form of silent protest against repressive government. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)

 

At least 600 policemen had been assigned to block access to the monument itself, and to patrol the surrounding areas, and they were in normal uniforms.

 

Activists have, however, been tailed by security officers in plain clothes in recent weeks. The police are believed to have 31 under surveillance and targeted for possible arrest.

 

On Friday, Parit Chiwarak from the Student Union of Thailand, was arrested by four policemen who struggled to manhandle his significant mass. Parit -- better known as Penguin -- was released on bail soon after Sunday's protest got going.

 

In the morning, about a hundred royalists held another rally at the same spot. One banner read: "You can chase anybody, but don't touch the Chakri dynasty" -- a reference to the 238-year-old House of Chakri that has ruled Thailand, formerly Siam, through ten reigns.

 

The current incumbent, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is also known as Rama X. He acceded in 2016 but is resident most of the time in Germany.

 

"I want leaders of the country to think of public benefits rather than themselves," said Bia a 38-year-old native of Surat Thani province, who travelled 500km to attend the rally.

 

Many protesters wore black t-shirts. They were joined by others in red shirts signaling their allegiance to Thaksin Shinawatra, the populist prime minister ousted by the military in a coup in 2006.

 

The demonstration was well organized, with cooked food and cold drinks available -- essential sustenance in the exceptionally humid monsoon climate.

 

A possible dampener on proceedings failed to materialize. The capital has seen heavy rain in recent weeks, mostly in the late afternoon and evening. Instead, as dusk approached, massive sunbeams from behind a cloud provided a spectacular backdrop to the art deco monument that in darker times past has been the scene of significant political violence.

 

As darkness approached, the overwhelmingly peaceful crowd sat on the street waving lights from their cell phones above their heads. Many stayed beyond the planned 9 p.m. ending.

 

Protesters occasionally gave trademark three-fingered salutes inspired by the film Hunger Games as an expression of silent rebuke to repressive government.

 

Bangkok's protesters on Sunday held up banners in different languages and chanted repeatedly: “Down with dictatorship! Long live democracy.” (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)

 

Free People was established on Aug. 7 to facilitate broader public support for political reforms. Three of the main demands being pressed are for an end to official harassment that inhibits people exercising their rights; rewriting contentious parts of the military-drafted constitution; and dissolving parliament.

 

The group has also called for an end to coups and national unity governments, and pointedly for a "democratic form of government with the monarch under the constitution."

 

"Once the constitution is rewritten, every true demand of the people will be spoken of and recognized," Free People said in a statement released on Wednesday.

 

"Moreover, under the constitution, all are equal without any exception."

 

The constitution, Thailand's 20th since 1932, was drafted at the military's behest, and adopted after a national referendum in 2016. It gives 250 military-appointed senators a large say in choosing the prime minister, and an effective veto on constitutional reform.

 

There have recently been smaller protests in over 45 of the kingdom's 76 provinces. Originally protesters called for a change of government and constitutional reforms, and avoided open criticism of the monarchy.

 

Matters moved in a fresh direction on July 18 at a protest organized by Free Youth when human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa broke a major taboo and called for a public debate on the role of the kingdom's highest institution -- the monarchy.

 

The issue gained momentum on Monday at a protest at Thammasat University when ten proposed reforms to the monarchy were read out by Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, spokesperson for the Student Union of Thailand.

 

Sunday's speakers called again for broad reforms, including of the monarchy, but did not revisit the ten specific demands made at Thammasat. Instead, students mingled in the crowds to share their views.

 

The ten demands included revocation of the law of lese-majeste, a reduction in public spending on the royal family, a clearer distinction between royal and public assets, and abolition of the privy council along with other "unnecessary units." The Thammasat speech on Monday drew repeated applause.

 

Arnon appeared on stage on Sunday, and said: "Our mission is to transform Thailand to true democracy -- the mission should end with our generation.

 

The political discontent comes at a time of increasing economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia's second largest economy is expected to contract by 8.1% this year, according to the Bank of Thailand.

 

Students have tapped into public resentment by also drawing attention to a justice system that many feel affords impunity to the rich and powerful. Vorayuth Yoovidhya, grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, was accused of killing a police officer while intoxicated in a hit-and-run incident in 2012, but fled abroad before his arrest. The case was quietly dropped by the attorney general's office in January and news of his legal absolution only surfaced in July.

 

Authorities have already tried to clamp down on activists. Arnon was arrested on Aug. 7 on a variety of charges, including alleged sedition. He and a colleague were released last weekend on bail after some 200 students gathered outside the police station where they were being detained.

 

The recent arrests caught international attention. On Saturday, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Thai authorities to drop all charges and unconditionally release Parit. "Each new arrest of a peaceful prodemocracy activist shows the Thai government's authoritarian tendencies and lack of respect for human rights," it said.

 

"Thai authorities have routinely enforced censorship and gagged public discussions of rights, political reforms, and the monarchy," said HRW. It noted that Thailand became signatory in 1996 to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

 

An elderly pro-democracy advocate in Bangkok on Sunday asserted her rights alongside predominantly much younger protesters.     © AP

 

The Royal Thai Police deputy spokesperson, Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen, raised concerns on Thursday over the rallies, and said officers would be deployed to beef up security on Sunday.

 

Tanu Sukbamphoeng, a royalist lawyer, called for enforcement of the law of lese-majeste, which is meant to protect the monarchy from hurt. After proving counterproductive, the law fell out of use in 2017, and the authorities resorted to other control mechanisms, including the law of sedition and the Computer Crimes Act.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha talked about the rallies at a news conference on Thursday. He called on authorities to probe the financing of the protests and to identify their backers. He said that was standard procedure, and did not require specific orders from him.

 

Speaking on national television the same day, the prime minister struck a more conciliatory note. "Let the young lead the way and provide the moral leadership to show us all how to take the hard path of collaboration with people who may disagree with us during times of national hardship," he said.

 

According Traisuree Thaisaranakul, the deputy government spokesperson, Prayuth has told authorities to be patient and show restraint if goaded by protesters. He said forceful control measures were to be avoided, but also warned protesters not to violate the rights of others.

 

Prayuth has been running the country under a state of emergency since March during the COVID-19 outbreak. The emergency rule gives him power to limit normal rights, including freedom of assembly.

 

No local transmission of the virus has been detected in the past two months, and the prime minister has not so far invoked his emergency powers to contain the rallies.

 

The student-led activism has meanwhile been gaining traction. A group of 147 university faculty members from across the kingdom said the proposed reforms did not violate criminal law in relation to the king. "Thai society should learn to raise the ceiling of tolerance and converse with reason for the sustainability of democracy in society," the group said.

 

Another group of 358 scholars from the Thai Academic Network for Civil Rights also stood with the protesters. "Universities should remain a place where people can raise questions and seek peaceful solutions for society together," it said.

 

Some young Thai celebrities have voiced their support for freedom of speech on social media. Among them was the popular girl band BNK48.

 

"I respect Arnon's boldness in daring to speak out about the truth in public," said a 60-year-old noodle shop owner who attended with one of his children, a Thammasat student. "Power never truly belongs to the people -- Thailand has become like Myanmar in a way."

[socrates469bc]

14 minutes ago, Yamato said:

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Thailand's youth demo evolves to largest protest since 2014 coup

Turnout of over 20,000 at peaceful rally shows growing demand for reforms

Thailand's young demonstrators often wave illuminated cell phones above their heads as a visually striking means of peaceful protest. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 16, 2020 08:51 JSTUpdated on August 17, 2020 02:04 JST

 

 

 

20k is an understatement.

 

more like 50k.

 

when the masses r hungry, they will be forced to rebel.

 

and these students r coming into the worst job market in a century, so they have nothing to lose.

 

the thai king is not very popular so if he wants to endear himself to the masses, he shld donate part of the holdings in crown property bureau to govt coffers.

 

 

[Yamato]

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/why-are-there-protests-against-thailand-s-king-20200817-p55mlj.html?fbclid=IwAR2ktqSVw9GMRvsAaoPMo_lhgSYuQB2nWobMmRnlb61RzuK5Tv_aWMOlxGY

 

Why are there protests against Thailand’s king?
Thailand's king has been subject to international scrutiny since his days at school in Australia. Why are there protests against the monarchy now? Why are they so unusual?
By Michael Ruffles
AUGUST 18, 2020

 

Thailand's monarchy has long been considered untouchable, an institution of vast wealth and power protected against scrutiny by draconian laws. It is often described as a sacred and revered institution, purportedly above politics.

 

With a new king, criticisms long whispered are spilling into the open. King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s lavish lifestyle, mostly enjoyed in Germany, colourful personal history and volatile reputation have made him a figure of fear in some quarters and ridicule in others.

 

Protests across many provinces in 2020, defying emergency decrees in the middle of a pandemic, made oblique references to the monarchy and its power. In August, the criticism became explicit, with a series of protests taking aim not only at the structure of the monarchy and its influence in politics and military affairs but at the king personally.

 

Why is such criticism extremely unusual in Thailand? What laws protect the king? How are this year’s protests different from the past? And how does Harry Potter and a 500-year-old elephant battle fit into all of this?

 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn's coronation went for three days in May 2019. CREDIT:THAILAND'S ROYAL PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

 

Why is criticism of Thailand’s king unusual?
Because it’s effectively outlawed. A law known as lese-majeste – literally “injured majesty” – is infamous in Thailand. Article 112 of the country’s criminal code says anyone who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent" can be punished with a jail term of between three and 15 years. The law has been used to quell almost all criticism of the royal family.

 

Several countries have similar statutes on the books but Thailand’s lese-majeste law is the world’s harshest. Punishments are often imposed consecutively, meaning sentences can be decades long. Truth is often not a defence.

 

This is why, for generations, little has been said openly, even in private, about the king in Thailand. Guide books have warned tourists against insults.

 

The law has been around since 1908 but the penalties were toughened by a military junta in 1976, and the number of charges and length of sentences increased markedly in the last years of the previous king’s rule. After a coup in 2014, the junta issued an edict allowing prosecutions for liking or sharing content on social media, and there was a notorious case where a young activist was incarcerated for sharing a BBC Thai profile of Vajiralongkorn.

 

The king with consort Sineenat Bilaskalayani and a pet dog on a military aircraft in August 2019. CREDIT:THAILAND ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU

 

Who is the king?
King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is the 10th monarch in the Chakri dynasty, which dates back to 1782. The family had absolute rule until a revolution in 1932.

 

The long reign of Vajiralongkorn’s father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was responsible for the high regard in which the monarchy has been held. Through a series of development projects (and with the support of propaganda), he won a place in many Thai hearts and was often greeted with adoring crowds. By the end of his 70 years on the throne in 2016, he had come to be regarded by many as the “father of the nation”.

 

Vajiralongkorn is Bhumibol’s only son. He was a student at The King's School in Parramatta and at Duntroon, the Australian Army's officer training college, from 1972 until 1975. He was 66 when he formally assumed the throne in an elaborate, three-day ceremony in May 2019.

 

The Prince arrives in Sydney as an 18-year-old to begin his studies in 1970. CREDIT:ANTONY MATHEUS LINSEN

 

Married four times and with eight children, Vajiralongkorn’s reputation as a playboy dates back to when he was a young man. His mother even referred to him in the 1980s as “a little bit of a Don Juan”.

 

His first marriage, to a cousin, officially ended in 1993, although by then he had five children with the woman, a former actress, who became his second wife. That marriage lasted two years until, in 1996, she left for Britain with the children. She and their four sons were later granted asylum in the US by the Clinton administration; the daughter, now a fashion designer, was raised by her father.

 

The then crown prince with a fellow student at The King's School in Sydney in 1970. CREDIT:EDWARD BERESFORD

 

The king had a son, Prince Dipangkorn, with his third wife, Srirasmi, in 2005, who notoriously wore only a g-string in a video of a 2009 birthday party thrown for a prize poodle, Foo Foo. She was stripped of her titles in December 2014 and put under house arrest, where she remains, while seven relatives were charged with corruption and/or lese-majeste for profiting from their royal connections, and many were handed hefty jail terms.

 

Vajiralongkorn with his third wife, Srirasmi, and their son, Dipangkorn, at Paris Fashion Week in 2007, where his daughter showed her designs.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

 

Vajiralongkorn’s relationship with his fourth wife, a flight attendant, had been long rumoured but he surprised the world three days before his coronation by announcing they were married. He also briefly had a consort, an army officer elevated to a rank not seen since the end of absolute monarchy, but who was stripped of her titles within months.

 

One former palace insider says the king has a temper and makes emotional decisions. The military is closely linked to his identity, analysts say, as he values discipline, has close advisers who were in the armed forces, and bestows military ranks on favoured women.

 

Since coming to power, he has taken direct control of several army units, assumed personal ownership of the Crown Property Bureau’s fortune (estimated at somewhere between $40-$70 billion) and intervened in the drafting of the constitution – there have been 20 new or revised charters in Thailand since 1932 – to ensure he could spend more time in Germany. He flies back to Thailand for important occasions.

 

Of his reputation, when he was crown prince he said that black sheep were useful in making other sheep appear whiter.

 

Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa, pictured here in 2009, has been charged under lese-majeste five times.CREDIT:JOHN WOUDSTRA

 

Who has been charged under lese-majeste laws?
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights knows of 25 people now in jail for lese-majeste. Notable cases have included a DVD seller charged for distributing an ABC Foreign Correspondent report containing clips of Foo Foo’s scandalous birthday; Australian author Harry Nicolaides was sentenced to three years' jail, and later pardoned, over a line in a work of fiction; and a man was sentenced to 70 years, halved because he confessed, over 10 messages on Facebook.

 

The most attention-grabbing case was over a 500-year-old elephant battle involving a long-dead king that had been used as the basis for a series of royalist films. Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa questioned the accuracy of the Thai version of history and was charged. It took until 2018 for the king to step in and have the case quashed.

 

Sulak, who has beaten the charge five times, says the king not only put an end to his case but ordered a stop to lese-majeste prosecutions. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said the king did not want the law to be used.

 

It’s true there have been no new lese-majeste prosecutions since 2018; other laws have been used instead. Sedition laws and the Computer Crimes Act each carry hefty penalties and can be used for alleged offences against national security.

 

But that moratorium may be over: on August 13, protest leader Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, 24, posted that he was facing a lese-majeste charge and a day later was carried away by plainclothes police on the way to a demonstration.

 

Protest leader Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak outside the criminal court in Bangkok after his release on bail on August 15.CREDIT:AP

 

So why are there protests now?
The abduction of government critic Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 38, from the streets of Cambodia in June was one galvanising moment. He was wanted for lese-majeste, and security footage of a black SUV taking him away went viral. His image has been a regular feature of the protests.

 

Economic failures during the pandemic have also hurt, while constitutional reform, student issues and LGBTQI rights are also on the agenda. The king’s long stays in Germany and lack of popular appeal have also made him a target. Also, high school and university students feature prominently, another marked change from protests of the past.

 

On August 10, the protesters made 10 demands for reforming the monarchy. These included the abolition of the lese-majeste law, cuts to the king’s budget, a clear delineation between crown property and the king’s personal wealth, and a requirement for the king to be accountable to Parliament as stipulated in the post-revolution constitution of 1932. No such requirement exists under the latest constitution, and royal decrees circumvent Parliament.

 

Thai critic Pavin Chachavalpongpun in Japan.

 

Academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a lese-majeste suspect who was granted refugee status in Japan and one of the three most-wanted critics of the monarchy, says the confluence of all these factors has resulted in an unprecedented opportunity to examine the monarchy’s place in Thai life. His private Facebook group for such discussion, Royalist Marketplace, has about 900,000 members and has turned Pavin into both a meme and something of an icon for the protest.

 

“The 10 demands have been written in a very formal, serious way,” Pavin says. “This is not just to humiliate the monarchy, this is something that can be taken to Parliament.

 

“I would not discredit what the students are doing right now. As someone who has been promoting serious discussion of the monarchy for so long, I must say that this is such a new phenomenon for me, too."

 

The government was swift to declare the protesters had “crossed the line” just by mentioning the monarchy.

 

A Harry-Potter themed protest on August 3, where Voldemort takes the place of the king in a gilded frame.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

 

What does Harry Potter have to do with the protests?
Because of the strict laws, criticism and gossip about the royal family has often been passed in code. Satire and the use of pop-culture references are popular, particularly online where cartoons and memes are shared widely.

 

On August 3, a Harry Potter-themed protest likened Vajiralongkorn to the Harry Potter villain Voldemort (He Who Must Not Be Named). This is a recent phenomenon but in character for a population that co-opted the three-finger Hunger Games salute in defiance of the 2014 coup.

 

A lawyer who spoke at the Harry Potter protest, Arnon Nampa, said it was time to speak about the king directly rather than in riddles. On August 7, he was dragged into a police station to be charged with several offences but not lese-majeste. Another 30 people are said to be in line to be charged and a crackdown is feared.

 

Protesters wave chopsticks as makeshift wands during a Harry Potter-themed rally in Bangkok on August 3.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

 

What’s next?
For a country with a long history of coups and deadly crackdowns, there are fears the latest protests could turn violent. Cabinet ministers have warned of the possibility, although the Prime Minister has urged police to show restraint.

 

Pavin says it is “too soon to say” whether 2020 will prove a major turning point for the Thai monarchy, however, it is clear “the students have set a new benchmark in Thai politics”. Pavin says he hopes the protests continue to gain momentum but change will only be achieved with support in political and business circles that doesn’t exist, at least for now.

 

Portraits of the king flanked by his late father, Bhumibol, and his mother, Sirikit, at the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2019.CREDIT:BLOOMBERG

 

Michael Ruffles is the chief sub-editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

[Cynical Ape]

At least they are allowed to hold peaceful protests without getting their skulls cracked. 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Cynical Ape

[socrates469bc]

19 minutes ago, Cynical Ape said:

At least they are allowed to hold peaceful protests without getting their skulls cracked. 

 

when the masses r hungry, dont provoke them or they will rise up in arms.

 

best example is belarus.

 

the thai pm took a leaf from hk's ce lame.

 

frustrate the populace.

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Thailand-to-extend-virus-emergency-decree-as-protests-swell?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=coronavirus_newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=10&pub_date=20200820150000&seq_num=6&si=44594

 

Thailand to extend virus emergency decree as protests swell
Activist human rights lawyer arrested on sedition charges

 

Students use their mobile phones as flashlights to show support for pro-democracy protests in Bangkok on Aug. 19.   © Reuters
MARIMI KISHIMOTO and YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writersAugust 20, 2020 02:41 JST

 

BANGKOK -- The Thai government indicated Wednesday it will extend its state of emergency through September in response to the country's first locally transmitted coronavirus case in nearly three months, fueling speculation that it seeks to clamp down on spreading protests.

 

This would mark the fifth extension of the decree, which has been in place since late March and is now set to last until the end of August. The cabinet will officially approve the move within the next few days.

 

The apparent first case of community transmission in 86 days was a woman who returned from Dubai in June and traveled to her hometown in northeastern Thailand after a 14-day quarantine. She tested positive in Bangkok on Tuesday before a planned trip abroad for work.

 

The decision comes against the backdrop of the massive student-led demonstrations of recent months. A gathering Sunday at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok drew between 20,000 and 30,000 people, according to organizers, which would make it one of the largest anti-government protests since the 2014 coup that brought Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha into power.

 

Some observers suspect that Prayuth's government looks to use the extended state of emergency to crack down on political gatherings. Somsak Rungsita, secretary-general of the National Security Council, denied in a Wednesday news conference that this is the case.
 

Anon Nampa, one of the leaders of recent anti-government protests, is detained by a police outside the criminal court in Bangkok on Aug. 19.   © Reuters

Also on Wednesday, Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer who has played a leading role in the protests, was arrested on sedition charges, Reuters reported.

 

Anon was previously arrested Aug. 7 over an Aug. 3 protest, but was released on bail the following day. He continued to participate in anti-government demonstrations, calling for Prayuth's cabinet to resign and parliament to be dissolved.

 

Anon also urged reform of Thailand's powerful monarchy -- a taboo in a country with strict lese-majeste laws.

 

The previous arrest sparked outrage among Anon's supporters, and Wednesday's could bring more protesters into the ranks.

[socrates469bc]

prayuth and the king getting worried.

 

maybe the curse of bkk and taksin curse might be fulfilled.

 

way out for siam king is to donate his crown property bureau to the public coffers to buy support.

[Satki]

So covid 19 has its good points

 

even tame peasants can bring in more oppos

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Thai-protests-grow-on-streets-and-online-Five-things-to-know?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=one time newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=3&pub_date=20200823120000&seq_num=2&si=44594

 

Thai protests grow on streets and online: Five things to know
Secondary school students show solidarity while Facebook group draws 1m members

 

Pro-democracy students raise three fingers, a gesture of resistance, during a protest rally in front of the Education Ministry in Bangkok on Aug. 19.   © AP
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 21, 2020 18:41 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Youth-led pro-democracy protests have swept Thailand. Big or small, they occur almost every day somewhere in the kingdom, calling for broad reforms. At least 55 out of 76 provinces have had rallies since mid-July.

 

About 20,000 people gathered on Sunday at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of Bangkok, making it the biggest rally since a coup in 2014. Some protesters were not afraid to raise a debate on Thailand's long-standing taboo -- the role of the monarchy in politics and society.

 

What are the protesters' demands?

 

At Sunday's rally, organizer Free People presented three demands: the dissolution of both chambers of parliament, the rewriting of contentious parts of the constitution, and an end to official harassment that inhibits people from exercising their fundamental rights.

 

They said no coup should be staged and no national unity government should be formed in the future.

 

The tone of these requests was less radical than when 10 proposed reforms to the monarchy were read out by a spokesperson for another protester group, Student Union of Thailand, on Aug. 10 at Thammasat University. But the underlying message is the same: Allow Thailand to segue to a democratic form of government with the monarchy under the constitution.

The lighter tone made it easier for people to join the rally, and attendance swelled to about 20,000 people.

 

What drove people to the streets?

 

Political and judicial developments since the March 2019 general election have young people questioning if their say has been marginalized. Over 7.3 million voters under 25 years old took part in that election; it was their first opportunity to exercise voting rights.

 

Those who initiated the recent pro-democracy movements most likely cast ballots for Future Forward, a party founded in 2018 by 41-year-old billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. The party's pledge to update the constitution, cut the military budget and bring the military under civilian control resonated with discontented youth. Future Forward gained 6.3 million votes, or 17.8% of the ballots, and won 81 out of 500 lower house seats.

 

But the charismatic Thanathorn lost his parliamentary status in November 2019 after the Constitutional Court ruled he had violated laws prohibiting election candidates from owning shares in media companies. In February, the same court ordered the disbandment of Future Forward for illegally accepting funds from Thanathorn. While the authorities insist they were enforcing the law, young Thais saw something else, the muzzling of the progressive party and its leader.

 

Faith in the country's justice system further deteriorated in July, when the public became aware that a hit-and-run case against Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, had been quietly dropped by the attorney general's office back in January.

 

An economy pushed to the brink by the pandemic also has many Thais up in arms. It shrank by 12.2% during the three months ending June, compared with the same period the previous year.

 

How are these different from past rallies?

 

A willingness to challenge long-held taboos is the biggest difference between the recent rallies and past ones, and it has been fostered by the anonymous nature of the internet.

 

Thailand's history is filled with protests and coups. For about a decade up until the 2014 coup, the main protesters were so-called Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts. The Red Shirts were supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now a fugitive, and included many rural poor. The Yellow Shirts were concentrated in Bangkok and were seen as representing urban elites and the old status quo. Although their clashes often led to bloodshed, taboo subjects like the monarchy remained off-limits.

 

Students leading the current rallies are mostly from middle-class families. As children of the internet age with wider access to information, young adults wonder why their country has had 20 constitutions and 13 successful coups since 1932. Their realization has led to doubts about the nature of the country's politics.

 

Social media has also played an important role. Accounts of injustice, violence and abuse of power, which were often kept under wraps in the past, are in plain view online.

Is the movement gaining momentum?

 

To be sure, the 20,000 who showed up for Sunday's rally were far fewer than the crowds of 100,000 that the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts used to attract. But the movement should not be underestimated as the youth groups are still gaining support, online and off.

 

Secondary school students have begun to wear white ribbons and give three-fingered salutes during morning assembly. These are expressions of silent rebuke to the government.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers and scholars have stood with the movement, praising it for invoking a bold debate, and saying the students and protesters have only exercised their freedom of speech and have not violated laws.

 

Royalist Marketplace, a private Facebook group that openly discusses the role of Thailand's monarchy, reached 1 million subscribers on Wednesday, an increase of more than 40% from a month ago.

 

What happens next?

 

Free People has said it will give the current administration about a month to meet its requests. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday shrugged off the demands. On Wednesday, he reiterated that some are impossible to implement.

 

Police officers at the criminal courthouse in Bangkok. Thai police arrested nine pro-democracy activists in a crackdown on growing protests.    © AP

 

The group said it will escalate the rallies if its demands are not met. Free People has not yet announced a date for its next rally but has revealed a plan to hold an overnight sit-in. Meanwhile, a group of Thammasat University students is set to organize a large protest for Sept. 19 at the university's Tha Phra Chan campus, located near the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

 

The government is expected to allow protests as long as they remain peaceful. According to Traisuree Thaisaranakul, the government's deputy spokesperson, Prayuth has told authorities to be patient and show restraint if goaded by protesters, and that forceful control measures are to be avoided. But he has also warned protesters not to violate the rights of others.

 

Thailand is currently under a state of emergency due to the pandemic, with Prayuth wielding a decree that gives him overwhelming power to limit people's rights while minimizing the cabinet's role. The prime minister, who led the 2014 coup, has not limited protesters' assembly rights in the name of the emergency decree.

 

But the authorities have charged those who have spoken at the protests with sedition. On Wednesday and Thursday, nine activists, including a member of hip-hop group Rap Against Dictatorship and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, were arrested. They were released on bail by Thursday night.

 

Putchapong Nodthaisong, spokesman for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, said the ministry will file a complaint against Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an associate professor at Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, for creating the Royalist Marketplace group. "We have filed a request to Facebook to delete the entire group, but the platform hasn't been cooperative," Putchapong said.

 

Prayuth on Wednesday chaired a special meeting of security agencies. According to a local report, the agencies were told to maintain order if the protests develop into unrest. In the past, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej often acted as a mediator during times of political strife. With the monarchy now being a subject of debate, it is uncertain how the current discord might shake out.

[socrates469bc]

 

[Yamato]

Hope more soldiers and police are like these 3

 

[socrates469bc]

this time really sexplode thx to red bull.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/23/asia/red-bull-vorayud-yoovidhya-charges-dropped-intl/index.html

 

there is alrdy pent-up frustration and red bull just ignited it.

 

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Thailand-s-protest-leader-vows-to-amend-constitution-despite-arrest?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200904190000&seq_num=4&si=44594

 

Thailand's protest leader vows to amend constitution despite arrest
Free People head vows bigger demonstration in October if demands unmet

 

Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree speaks to Nikkei Asian Review in Bangkok on Sept. 3. (Photo by Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 4, 2020 17:59 JST

 

BANGKOK -- When Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree was released from the Criminal Court in Bangkok on the evening of Aug. 26, he immediately violated the terms of his bail. Surrounded by his supporters, he vowed to stage another protest against the Prayuth government.

 

The 23-year-old had been detained at noon that day at his residence in Nonthaburi Province on the outskirts of Bangkok on charges of violating the emergency law and sedition after organizing the thousands-strong "Free Youth" protest on July 18. He was taken to a police station alongside Panumas Singprom, another Free Youth organizer. After a five-hour interrogation, the two were released on bail.

 

Eight days after his arrest, the first time he had been in custody, Tattep remained undaunted. "We are preparing a bigger protest, which is expected to be held in October because the government is unlikely to meet our demands by the end of September," he told the Nikkei Asian Review in an interview on Thursday.

 

He said the protest could take several forms, ranging from a massive march to small, coordinated protests across the country, to besieging government headquarters.

 

"We have not concluded how to conduct the protests, but it will be escalated," he said. The October protest "would create greater pressure on the government to react to our requests."

 

Dressed in a black T-shirt, similar to the one he wore the day he was arrested, he said the next protests would draw 100,000 people. A recent graduate of Chulalongkorn University, widely seen as the most prestigious university in the kingdom, Tattep is a key leader of the youth-led, anti-government movement Free People.

 

Initially called Free Youth, early demonstrations were mainly made up of students. The movement changed its moniker to Free People as people from other walks of life joined the movement. The last Free People protest, on Aug. 16, which drew more than 20,000 people, was the largest political gathering Thailand has seen since the military staged a coup in 2014.

 

Tattep and his allies, who remain mostly students from major universities across the country, form the core of Free People. In the Aug. 16 protest, Tattep and supporters of Free People presented their demands: dissolution of both chambers of parliament, a rewriting of contentious parts of the constitution and an end to official harassment prevents people from exercising their fundamental rights.

 

In response to the protests, the government led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former general, has added Tattep to a watchlist of 31 political activists, alongside Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, a 21-year-old student at Thammasat University. On Aug. 10, during an anti-government protest on the Thammasat campus, she risked prison to read a 10-point manifesto calling for reform the Thai monarchy, defying a decades-old taboo against openly discussing the royal family.

 

Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a leader of the Free People movement, holds up a three-fingered salute, a symbol of resistance, at a safe house in Bangkok on Sept. 3. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)

 

Tattep said Free People is an inclusive movement comprising various groups from every corner of the Thai society. Their common goal is to amend the constitution, he said. "However, each group is operated by different leaders, who have their own strategies."

 

"It's like we are the cars, moving toward the same destination of real democracy. However, each car is driven by different organizers, who have different ideas," he said, "That is why you saw Thammasat protesters appeal [for] monarchy reform, while we are still focused on constitutional amendment."

 

Tattep, who is also secretary-general of the Free Youth and Free People groups, said he still believes revising the charter is the key to all other reforms. "For me, you can reform anything you want if you have a fair constitution that is drafted by the people and allows people to reform everything, including the monarchy."

 

As of Thursday, police have issued arrest warrants for 31 protesters, including Tattep, who are on the watchlist. Some of them have been arrested three times.

 

Tattep insisted he must continue his fight because he wants to put an end to the inequality and injustice prevalent in Thai society. The only way to slash all problems is to create a "fair rule," or an amendment of the national charter to allow everybody to play in a "fair game," he said.

 

"We can't separate economic problems from political problems because they are the same thing," Tattep said. "If we have good politics that creates good state welfare for all Thais, we would finally get a good economy, too," he said, lamenting the inequality he experienced as a child.

 

Tattep grew up in the old-town, ethnic Chinese district of Bangrak in the center of Bangkok. He was the only child of a middle-class family. His mother played a major role in household finances, running a textile shop. When his mother died six years ago, his father was forced to find work as a driver to support the family and put Tattep through university.

 

Tattep at a safe house in Bangkok  (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)

 

"That was when I found inequality and insufficient public welfare that affected my family," he said. His mother's death marked the end of the textile business, as his father has no idea about design and fashion trends. As a truck driver, Tattep's father earned less than 15,000 baht ($479) a month, roughly the minimum wage for university graduates.

 

"That raised doubts in my head," Tattep said. "People should not face any difficulty in earning a living [and] getting a good education if the government provides good social welfare."

 

Tattep, who first studied science and hoped to become a pharmacist, switched his major to political science because he wanted to reshape Thai society into one that he sees as free and fair.

 

His passion for politics and social justice intensified in 2016, when he saw first hand injustice and intimidation on a global scale in his home country. Tattep and a friend had organized a seminar on politics at Chulalongkorn University. One of the keynote speakers was Joshua Wong, a leader of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and the 2014 Umbrella Revolution that called for universal suffrage in the territory.

 

He went to meet Wong at the airport, but Wong was barred from entering Thailand by immigration authorities and immediately sent home with no clear reason given.

 

"By that time, I just realized that there is an injustice that keeps pressing on us and we need to fight against it, and that's why I wanted to work in the political firmament because I want to make a change," he said.

 

In 2018, Tattep joined the Future Forward Party, founded the same year by 41-year-old billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

 

After graduating from Chulalongkorn in February, Tattep began organizing anti-government protests. "I had strong support from my father. He always allows me to do whatever I want to do," Tattep said.

 

In the March 2019 general election, the pro-democracy party received 6.3 million votes, or 17.8% of the ballots cast, with strong support from first-time voters under 25. Future Forward won 81 out of 500 lower house seats only to be disbanded in February this year after a court ruling that it had taken illegal funding. But this did not quell Tattep's political activism.

 

On Jan. 12, he organized an early-morning race called "Run Against Dictatorship" in a Bangkok park, protesting against Prayuth and demanding more political freedom.

 

After a hiatus due to the coronavirus lockdown, Tattep and Parit Chiwarak, another protest leader, held another anti-government protest in Bangkok on June 24 to commemorate the "Siamese Revolution in 1932" that ousted King Rama VII resulted in the drafting of the country's first constitution.

 

On July 18, Tattep staged a big protest that led to his first arrest. "I am prepared for the second and third arrests. I am well prepared because I will not stop fighting," he said.

 

He vows to keep the protests peaceful, saying, "We have made it clear that we don't want any coup."

 

But should the government crackdown harder on the demonstrations planned for October, Tattep and his allies could face soldiers and tanks. "I and my supporters will confront them peacefully and I think they would not dare to shoot at us," Tattep said.

[Satki]

next big one in Oct?

[socrates469bc]

4 hours ago, Yamato said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Thailand-s-protest-leader-vows-to-amend-constitution-despite-arrest?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200904190000&seq_num=4&si=44594

 

Thailand's protest leader vows to amend constitution despite arrest
Free People head vows bigger demonstration in October if demands unmet

 

Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree speaks to Nikkei Asian Review in Bangkok on Sept. 3. (Photo by Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 4, 2020 17:59 JST

 

 

 

Dressed in a black T-shirt, similar to the one he wore the day he was arrested, he said the next protests would draw 100,000 people. A recent graduate of Chulalongkorn University, widely seen as the most prestigious university in the kingdom, Tattep is a key leader of the youth-led, anti-government movement Free People.

 

 

no job, thats why got so much time to protest and since this latest cohort come into the toughest job market since 1997, expect more to join in the protest since most of them r idling at home.

 

thats why tiongland now classify all youkuers as gainfully employed when most of them cant even make ends meet.

 

wahahahahahhaha

[Yamato]

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thai-kings-personal-life-in-spotlight-again-after-royal-consorts-reinstatement

 

Thai King's personal life in spotlight again after royal consort's reinstatement
Latest palace intrigue comes amid calls for transparency, reforms in royal institution

 

Ms Sineenat taking part in the royal cremation ceremony of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok in 2017.PHOTOS: REUTERS

 

News that Ms Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi is back in favour with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn took citizens by surprise last Wednesday, but the development once again shone the spotlight on the King's personal life.

 

No one expected that Ms Sineenat would be back in the royal fold. Then again, no one could have predicted her swift fall from grace 10 months ago either, less than three months after being made royal noble consort.

 

The latest palace intrigue comes amid widespread protests across Thailand by pro-democracy groups calling for more transparency and reforms in the royal institution.

 

"(Sineenat's reinstatement) will add fire to the demonstrations and calls for reforms," Professor James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, told The Sunday Times.

 

The Royal Gazette in its announcement dated Aug 29 declared that Ms Sineenat, 35, had all her titles restored as she "is untainted".

 

The phrase became a top trending Twitter hashtag in Thailand on Thursday morning.

 

High school student group Bad Student, which organised a protest at the Education Ministry yesterday, declared on Friday that any student who does a three-finger salute "is untainted".

 

The three-finger salute has been used by anti-government protesters as a symbol against dictatorship.

 

The former royal bodyguard was stripped of her titles for "misbehaviour and disloyalty against the monarch" last October. She was also accused of seeking to sabotage Queen Suthida's appointment in a bid to take the position herself.

 

"(She) was acting out against the royal marriage and the appointment of the queen," said the Royal Gazette in a detailed condemnation of the disgraced consort.

 

Soon after, the King fired nearly a dozen palace officials - all of whom received harsh rebuke in the Royal Gazette - for reasons such as "extremely evil misconduct".

 

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Ms Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi at the Grand Palace in Bangkok in an undated handout photo. Ms Sineenat had been stripped of her titles last October for “misbehaviour and disloyalty”. PHOTOS: REUTERS

 

Following her royal excommunication, Ms Sineenat disappeared from public view and all mention of her in the palace website was scrubbed.

 

It is unclear why Ms Sineenat, who is believed to be in Germany now, is being reinstated.

 

The announcement once again shone the spotlight on the 68-year-old monarch's personal life, long a subject of speculation both in his homeland and abroad.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn - who ascended the throne in December 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, two months earlier - spends most of his time abroad, especially in Germany, where he keeps a home.

 

In March, after an overseas Thai activist posted online about the King continuing to travel in Germany during the coronavirus pandemic, the Thai-language hashtag #whydoweneedaking became one of the top trending topics on Thailand's Twitter.

 

The government subsequently came out to warn citizens about online posts questioning the monarchy.

 

Thailand is strictly governed by lese majeste laws which punish those who insult or defame the monarchy with up to 15 years in jail.

 

Facebook has taken down content and groups that the government deemed to be insulting to the monarchy, the latest being a group with one million members that has criticised the King.

 

Although Thailand abolished absolute monarchy more than 80 years ago, the king still wields significant power.

 

Since he ascended the throne, King Maha Vajiralongkorn has consolidated his power by taking personal control of the multibillion-dollar assets of the Crown Property Bureau and two army units.

 

He also directed the government to rewrite parts of the Constitution that touched on the role of the king, including the procedure for appointing a regent in the king's absence and whether royal edicts should be countersigned by a government minister.

 

Since July, protesters have gathered in large numbers in the country calling for amendments to the military-backed Constitution, a fresh election and a democracy "with the monarch under the Constitution".

 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been married four times.

 

His first wife was his cousin whom he divorced in 1991.

 

In 1994, he married actress Sujarinee Vivacharawongse.

 

She had been his steady companion since the late 1970s and gave birth to four sons and a daughter.

 

However, the marriage did not last long, with Ms Sujarinee fleeing to Britain in 1996 with her children.

 

She now lives with her sons in the United States, while her daughter returned to live with her father in Thailand.

 

The King in 2001 married Ms Srirasmi Suwadee - who had served as his "lady-in-waiting" in the 1990s - and they have a son together. The marriage ended abruptly and acrimoniously in 2014 when she was purged and stripped of all her titles while members of her family were jailed for insulting the monarchy.

 

He married Queen Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya in May last year and raised eyebrows two months later when he anointed Ms Sineenat as "Chao Khun Phra" or noble consort, a title that was last used almost a century ago.

 

Born in the northern Thai province of Nan, Ms Sineenat, nicknamed Koi, is a trained pilot and a former nurse.

 

After the unexpected elevation of her status came the unprecedented release of a series of candid pictures featuring the new consort - from her in a crop top at the controls of a fighter jet, to her and the King dressed in combat fatigues, with royal poodle in arm - which drew so many visitors to the palace website that it crashed.

 

Those photos, along with her repute, were, however, effaced less than three months later.

[socrates469bc]

at this rate, the prophesy of the taksin curse will be fulfilled.

 

when a ruler loses the support of the masses, it is only a matter of time b4 he is overthrown.