O dear, Protests in Bangkok
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Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
its starting;
Student protests break out across the country after Bangkok rally; students attempting to organize nationwide
Student protests break out across the country after Bangkok rally; students attempting to organize nationwide
https://www.thaienquirer.com/15763/stud ... ationwide/Saturday’s protest in Bangkok has inspired copycat protests around the country as students in the country’s north and northeast rallied this past weekend against the Prayut Chan-ocha government.
Protest organizers told Thai Enquirer on Monday that they have been in touch with the Bangkok student groups to coordinate mass rallies in the future.
“We weren’t necessarily prepared to organize our rally because we were given so little time,” said one student leader who asked for anonymity fearing reprisal from the government and the university.
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbul ... =%%user_id%%
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?"
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?"
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
Interesting...
Major developments have been happening for the past two weeks, but no discussion here.
Unprecedented open criticism of king aired at Thai protest
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/unprecedented ... 17199.html
Major developments have been happening for the past two weeks, but no discussion here.
Unprecedented open criticism of king aired at Thai protest
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/unprecedented ... 17199.html
Student leaders in Thailand delivered an unprecedented challenge to the country’s constitutional monarchy on Monday, strongly criticizing the king and demanding changes to lessen what they believe is its anti-democratic nature.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Airing their grievances in direct language normally expressed in whispers, the speakers criticized the king’s wealth, his influence and the fact that he spends almost all his time in Germany, not Thailand.
Such open defiance of the taboos around speaking ill of the monarchy will infuriate ultra-conservatives and the military, who are unlikely to let it go without a response. Security forces in recent weeks already had been trying to intimidate students and other activists from holding demonstrations.
An announcement that a new protest would be held on Wednesday — the Queen Mother’s birthday — seemed likely to provoke royalists even more.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“In the space of one week, the boundaries of public discussion of the monarch and the institution of the monarchy in Thailand have expanded rapidly,” Tyrell Haberkorn, a Thai studies scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an e-mail. “Whether or not the authorities will allow this expansion as they should – or will respond with repression or violence – is the question.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbul ... 6&si=44594
Thai youth step up protests amid political tensions and economic woes
Speeches target pro-military government, impunity and role of the monarchy
Protest leader Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon at a flash demonstration in Bangkok after two unusually outspoken activists were arrested on Aug. 8. They were released on bail over the weekend, but bigger protests are expected this week. © Reuters
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerAugust 10, 2020 05:10 JST
BANGKOK -- Thailand's politics are churning again with a new generation openly venting on a raft of grievances ranging from constant military meddling in politics and a backward-looking constitution to economic mismanagement and flagrant legal impunity for the rich and powerful.
Further evidence of political discontent surfaced with a Harry Potter-themed protest under the Free Youth banner at Bangkok's Democracy Monument on July 18. It attracted about a thousand students, and was among the largest political gatherings since the military staged a coup in 2014.
The young demonstrators announced plans for two bigger protests later in the capital with up to 10,000 expected to join. The first will be at Thammasat University on Monday.
The Democracy Monument speakers included Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, and political activist Panupong Jadnok, both of whom were arrested on Friday on a variety of charges, including alleged sedition. Over 200 students gathered outside the police station where the two dissidents were being detained, and they were subsequently released on bail.
At the July 18 protest, Arnon had with rare boldness called for a public debate on the role of the monarchy, but was careful to say he was not advocating its overthrow. Police are believed to have another 31 activists marked down for possible arrest.
Hundreds of other students have staged sporadic anti-government rallies in 45 of the country's 76 provinces. The protesters called for parliament to be dissolved and the constitution to be amended, particularly Article 256 that gives 250 military-appointed senators a large say in choosing the prime minister and an effective veto on constitutional change.
"We should not underestimate the protesters," Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat University, told the Nikkei Asian Review. "They have pointed out that the charter is not very democratic and should be amended."
Anti-government sentiments have spread quickly on social media, particularly among university and high school students. When they gather for peaceful flash protests, the youngsters light up mobile phones for visual impact. Many observers expect the protests to gather momentum, and for people from other walks of life to join.
Boonyakiat Karavekphan, a political science lecturer at the Ramkamhaeng University, told Nikkei that Thailand's dismal economic outlook is fueling the political unrest, particularly among the young. "The government can do nothing to support the economy at this time," he said. "If young people feel they can't count on the government or the judicial system, then the protests will get bigger and more middle-class people will join."
The common ground of discontent is expanding. A widespread grievance has been the perceived failings of the justice system in the case of Vorayuth Yoovidhya, a grandson in the billionaire Krating Daeng (Red Bull) family. Vorayuth -- who is widely known as Boss -- was accused of killing a police officer in 2012 while driving his Ferrari intoxicated through Bangkok at 177 kph early one morning.
Vorayuth ignored numerous police summonses and fled the country in a private aircraft two days ahead of his belated arrest. After nearly eight years, with some of the lesser charges against him already expired, the attorney general's office decided on Jan. 20 to quietly drop all charges, opening the way for Vorayuth to reenter the country without fear of arrest. When news reports about his legal absolution finally surfaced on July 23, there was widespread outrage over the brazen impunity the rich and powerful evidently continue to enjoy in Thailand.
The controversy has been seized upon by the Free Youth network. Lawyers, parliamentarians and activist organizations have also called for an open investigation. Embattled Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha finally ordered one on July 29, and has revealed his personal unhappiness over the way in which the case has been handled.
Testing the public's patience, two new witnesses had testified that Vorayuth's car was traveling much less fast than previously calculated, that the dead policeman had suddenly pulled out into its path, and that the cocaine detected in Vorayuth's blood tests was residue from dental treatment.
A key witness to the alleged slower speed of the vehicle meanwhile died in a motorcycle accident in Chiangmai on July 30.
"Prison is for the poor, but the rich go free," said Somporn Sudthai, a 27-year-old taxi driver told Nikkei, saying he was infuriated by the case.
"Justice is a fundamental right that everyone should have, but this case widens inequality in the country," Rosana Tositrakul, a former senator and a prominent political critic, told Nikkei. "The rich and poor get different standards of justice."
A survey conducted by Super Poll on July 28, when the Red Bull row was escalating again, found that 91% of respondents felt the Thai judicial system was undependable, and 86% said they have lost faith in it. Over 90% of teenagers polled said they would disobey the government because of its failure to protect people.
"We were intimidated although we only staged peaceful protests," said Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a 23-year-old political science student and protest leader from Chulalongkorn University. "But for this hit-and-run case, there was no justice -- this is not fair."
Tattep said Free Youth has already morphed into the Free People movement, with many others coming on board to protest. Another major protest is scheduled for the afternoon of Aug. 16 at Democracy Monument, and Tattep told Nikkei he expects over 10,000 to show up.
Prayuth has vaguely indicated some willingness to revisit some contentious parts of the constitution, Thailand's 20th since 1932, when the absolute monarchy was overturned. Although he has been ruling by emergency decree during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister has recently been preoccupied with reshuffling his weak coalition cabinet and shoring up its fractious dominant party, Palang Pracharat.
Somkid Jatusripitak, the deputy prime minister who oversaw economic strategy and a former finance minister, was among four key people who stepped down last month.
On Wednesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed the royal assent for the new cabinet. Supattanapong Punmeechaow, the former head of PTT Global Chemical, a state enterprise, will become a deputy prime minister and energy minister. Predee Daochai, a former co-president of Kasikornbank, is the new finance minister.
There is considerable skepticism about the cabinet reshuffle's likely impact on an economy already severely battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear path out of the crisis yet apparent.
"It's not a sincere reshuffle to find the right people to tackle our economic problems," said Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, a 21-year-old student at Thammasat University. She argued that the well-being of the dominant coalition party is being put ahead of the national interest. Panusuya has seen friends forced to drop out of classes because of economic hardship, while her own family's car repair business has suffered a 70% drop in earnings.
Although Thailand has earned considerable international kudos for its handling of the pandemic, it must now foot the bill for the economic damage. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has forecast that Thailand's gross domestic product this year will fall by 9.4%, but many regard that as conservative given the decimation of exports, the collapse of tourism, and severely weakened consumer confidence.
In April, the Ministry of Labor reported that unemployment was already up by 45%. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development predicted in June that unemployment would climb to up to 4% of the workforce, but that figure is expected to be revised substantially upwards. Unemployment usually runs at about 1% -- about 400,000 workers -- but as many as 8.4 million people could be losing their jobs, with those in small and medium size businesses affected particularly badly.
Thai youth step up protests amid political tensions and economic woes
Speeches target pro-military government, impunity and role of the monarchy
Protest leader Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon at a flash demonstration in Bangkok after two unusually outspoken activists were arrested on Aug. 8. They were released on bail over the weekend, but bigger protests are expected this week. © Reuters
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerAugust 10, 2020 05:10 JST
BANGKOK -- Thailand's politics are churning again with a new generation openly venting on a raft of grievances ranging from constant military meddling in politics and a backward-looking constitution to economic mismanagement and flagrant legal impunity for the rich and powerful.
Further evidence of political discontent surfaced with a Harry Potter-themed protest under the Free Youth banner at Bangkok's Democracy Monument on July 18. It attracted about a thousand students, and was among the largest political gatherings since the military staged a coup in 2014.
The young demonstrators announced plans for two bigger protests later in the capital with up to 10,000 expected to join. The first will be at Thammasat University on Monday.
The Democracy Monument speakers included Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, and political activist Panupong Jadnok, both of whom were arrested on Friday on a variety of charges, including alleged sedition. Over 200 students gathered outside the police station where the two dissidents were being detained, and they were subsequently released on bail.
At the July 18 protest, Arnon had with rare boldness called for a public debate on the role of the monarchy, but was careful to say he was not advocating its overthrow. Police are believed to have another 31 activists marked down for possible arrest.
Hundreds of other students have staged sporadic anti-government rallies in 45 of the country's 76 provinces. The protesters called for parliament to be dissolved and the constitution to be amended, particularly Article 256 that gives 250 military-appointed senators a large say in choosing the prime minister and an effective veto on constitutional change.
"We should not underestimate the protesters," Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat University, told the Nikkei Asian Review. "They have pointed out that the charter is not very democratic and should be amended."
Anti-government sentiments have spread quickly on social media, particularly among university and high school students. When they gather for peaceful flash protests, the youngsters light up mobile phones for visual impact. Many observers expect the protests to gather momentum, and for people from other walks of life to join.
Boonyakiat Karavekphan, a political science lecturer at the Ramkamhaeng University, told Nikkei that Thailand's dismal economic outlook is fueling the political unrest, particularly among the young. "The government can do nothing to support the economy at this time," he said. "If young people feel they can't count on the government or the judicial system, then the protests will get bigger and more middle-class people will join."
The common ground of discontent is expanding. A widespread grievance has been the perceived failings of the justice system in the case of Vorayuth Yoovidhya, a grandson in the billionaire Krating Daeng (Red Bull) family. Vorayuth -- who is widely known as Boss -- was accused of killing a police officer in 2012 while driving his Ferrari intoxicated through Bangkok at 177 kph early one morning.
Vorayuth ignored numerous police summonses and fled the country in a private aircraft two days ahead of his belated arrest. After nearly eight years, with some of the lesser charges against him already expired, the attorney general's office decided on Jan. 20 to quietly drop all charges, opening the way for Vorayuth to reenter the country without fear of arrest. When news reports about his legal absolution finally surfaced on July 23, there was widespread outrage over the brazen impunity the rich and powerful evidently continue to enjoy in Thailand.
The controversy has been seized upon by the Free Youth network. Lawyers, parliamentarians and activist organizations have also called for an open investigation. Embattled Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha finally ordered one on July 29, and has revealed his personal unhappiness over the way in which the case has been handled.
Testing the public's patience, two new witnesses had testified that Vorayuth's car was traveling much less fast than previously calculated, that the dead policeman had suddenly pulled out into its path, and that the cocaine detected in Vorayuth's blood tests was residue from dental treatment.
A key witness to the alleged slower speed of the vehicle meanwhile died in a motorcycle accident in Chiangmai on July 30.
"Prison is for the poor, but the rich go free," said Somporn Sudthai, a 27-year-old taxi driver told Nikkei, saying he was infuriated by the case.
"Justice is a fundamental right that everyone should have, but this case widens inequality in the country," Rosana Tositrakul, a former senator and a prominent political critic, told Nikkei. "The rich and poor get different standards of justice."
A survey conducted by Super Poll on July 28, when the Red Bull row was escalating again, found that 91% of respondents felt the Thai judicial system was undependable, and 86% said they have lost faith in it. Over 90% of teenagers polled said they would disobey the government because of its failure to protect people.
"We were intimidated although we only staged peaceful protests," said Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a 23-year-old political science student and protest leader from Chulalongkorn University. "But for this hit-and-run case, there was no justice -- this is not fair."
Tattep said Free Youth has already morphed into the Free People movement, with many others coming on board to protest. Another major protest is scheduled for the afternoon of Aug. 16 at Democracy Monument, and Tattep told Nikkei he expects over 10,000 to show up.
Prayuth has vaguely indicated some willingness to revisit some contentious parts of the constitution, Thailand's 20th since 1932, when the absolute monarchy was overturned. Although he has been ruling by emergency decree during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister has recently been preoccupied with reshuffling his weak coalition cabinet and shoring up its fractious dominant party, Palang Pracharat.
Somkid Jatusripitak, the deputy prime minister who oversaw economic strategy and a former finance minister, was among four key people who stepped down last month.
On Wednesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed the royal assent for the new cabinet. Supattanapong Punmeechaow, the former head of PTT Global Chemical, a state enterprise, will become a deputy prime minister and energy minister. Predee Daochai, a former co-president of Kasikornbank, is the new finance minister.
There is considerable skepticism about the cabinet reshuffle's likely impact on an economy already severely battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear path out of the crisis yet apparent.
"It's not a sincere reshuffle to find the right people to tackle our economic problems," said Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, a 21-year-old student at Thammasat University. She argued that the well-being of the dominant coalition party is being put ahead of the national interest. Panusuya has seen friends forced to drop out of classes because of economic hardship, while her own family's car repair business has suffered a 70% drop in earnings.
Although Thailand has earned considerable international kudos for its handling of the pandemic, it must now foot the bill for the economic damage. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has forecast that Thailand's gross domestic product this year will fall by 9.4%, but many regard that as conservative given the decimation of exports, the collapse of tourism, and severely weakened consumer confidence.
In April, the Ministry of Labor reported that unemployment was already up by 45%. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development predicted in June that unemployment would climb to up to 4% of the workforce, but that figure is expected to be revised substantially upwards. Unemployment usually runs at about 1% -- about 400,000 workers -- but as many as 8.4 million people could be losing their jobs, with those in small and medium size businesses affected particularly badly.
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
Here's the full text of the statement regarding reform of the monarchy read out on 10 Aug from:
https://prachatai.com/english/node/8709
https://prachatai.com/english/node/8709
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.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
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phuketrichard
- Expatriate
- Posts: 16884
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
- Reputation: 5785
- Location: Atlantis
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
agree with all their demands,
to bad they wont be met
lets see if today anything takes place as the K is in country for his moms birthday
Support the students
Protesters in Thailand call for a king's power limit without fearing the law.
By Chasheng Bengali, journalist of the day.
11 August 2563
to bad they wont be met
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thai ... SKCN2570KUBANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday student protesters had gone too far after some issued a 10-point call for reform of the monarchy, which is considered sacred in the country’s conservative culture.
lets see if today anything takes place as the K is in country for his moms birthday
Support the students
Protesters in Thailand call for a king's power limit without fearing the law.
By Chasheng Bengali, journalist of the day.
11 August 2563
Many years ago, Thailand's powerful king criticism had to choose words with extreme caution using hidden comparison, like when it comes to dead fluffy dogs, insider jokes about his multiple marriages. Or even referring to Germany where he stayed full time in hotels on the Alpine in Bavaria.
Lately, the Harry Potter Cosmos is comparing to Lord Walder Mort, the evil wizard that everyone is afraid of saying no names.
This comparison is not that there is no foundation. The Thai King's institution creates armor, prevents criticism with law. Forbidden the world's stringent institutions with penalties. Anyone who is condemned by the king. And the Crown Prince with 15 years imprisonment. Despite not being used often, this law is taken as a tool to cover the people, kings who are not in the country and accumulate the wealth of political power in many. The King's rule has been changed under the constitution in 2475
However, in an unprecedented expression of protest, student leaders and protesters covered across the country, openly demanding the horizons of King Mahawachiralongkorn with protest rally starting to gain weight in. Last several weeks and observers have been amazed by the observer. Directly challenging the royal power.
′′ Today, we will talk straight about the King's Institute Panasaya Rights Jirawatnakun student leader, thousands of rallying in Thammasat University in suburb of Bangkok.
′′ In the past, there was always a statement to deceive us that people who were born in royal family are hypothetical angels. But with respect, ask yourself whether you are sure that angels will have this habit
Protester protesters read 10 claims including withdrawal of royal law, lowering budget for king's institutions, banning political role, reducing his guardians and investigating the missing case of king's criticism.
Statement says this is ′′ not an offer to overthrow the king's institution but an option for the king to ′′ live as a democracy
Demonstrators seem to be heading towards clashes with conservative forces led by former commander-in-chief. Registered mail. Prayut Chan Ocha and soldiers who have defeated protests in the past. Cruel to reduce the power of protests. Protest manager announced a thousand years of reunion this Wednesday. The birthday of the thousand years that the king will return in Bangkok.
′′ I can't imagine any incident in contemporary Thai history that can compare to the incident at this time says Matthew Wheeler, senior analyst of Bangkok's international crisis group.
′′ We have come to a new atmosphere where the political involvement of the King's Institute has been publicly criticized. ′′ Auxiliary Wheeler ′′ could say that in some way, it's inevitable. Must happen sooner or later. What we don't have yet to manifest is the feminists. How will you react
Even the official signaled that they would stage some protests last week, officials arrested two protesters, human rights lawyers, Anon Nampha and student leaders, Phanuphong Jad, allegations of allegations. Incited, including both other charges were bailed out and spoke at the congregation this Monday.
′′ From now on, question about respectful king institutions must be done openly Anon said to demonstrators and from now on, it shouldn't be harassed just for talking about king institution
Prayut told reporters this Tuesday that he was uncomfortable with protesting and wondered if it would be ′′ too far ′′ before then, a minister warns students to ′′ do not interfere with other people's rights and must not leave the institution. Top class of country no one will accept it ′′
The clash will result in Thailand's long-term unrest after less than a year and a half that has been elected post-coup by military department in 2557
People's outrage has been accumulated since that coup followed by extending army command, arrest, protester protester, new constitutional amendment, political amendment, political amendment, political amendment, constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment. Collapse of popular parties and including the 2562 suspicious selection that gave the head of the state execution to keep the power in their hands.
The COVID-19 epidemic hits economic recession and increasing social inequality.
All this time, 68 year old Wachiralongkorn has spent most of them living in Germany and flew back to Bangkok with the fourth wife and family once in a while.
And it's a fuelling of frustration that he's not here with the tax breakdown of his majesty. He's been doing many times to expand his power since the reign of 2559 after the death of his father. Affectionate comes from a long reign
Wachiralongkorn ordered constitutional amendment more convenient for him to rule overseas, set up two military forces under his direct command, and also treasure from his property to be in direct control of his entire estate. Huge amount of business partners estimated to be around $ 70 billion, making him the richest king in the world.
′′ What common people see is a king who plays a direct role in his political benefit than previous kings Wheeler said ′′ People's patience is lighter everyday. Anything can happen in terms of expressing suffering. Difficulty for the public and most certainly increasing the momentum. Accumulated when the public is facing economic difficulties
Protests which began this summer after the COVID-19 infection prevention distancing regulations called for government reform - including new elections and new constitutional drafts to cancel the penalty of sights. Different - but in the past week speaking of the King's Academy straight away.
In Thammasat, the congregation has a body temperature check. Participants and give gel to disinfect at the entrance of middle-aged Thai people mixed with youth who protested for the first time in Thai and English signage said ′′ no fake democracy ′′ and ′′ stop pretending. Pretend we still have a king institution under the constitution
′′ We shouldn't sacrifice our lives just to speak the truth and we won't tolerate it anymore Twenty year-old art students named just a ferret.
′′ We don't want a king's institution She added I know that's impossible - I know we still have to be with the institution. I just want to say that the institutions are in England with various ceremonies to bring tourism income in. A country like him but that's not what we do. Our king's institutions put money out of the country ′′
Some of the congregation gathered the holy democracy fighter, a well known and carried away in June in the middle of the street in Phnom Penh, Nakhon Luang of Cambodia where he went to refuge. Stay - the latest lost victim in the number of refugees. Many of them are carried away without knowing the fate.
′′ Chalerm day has become an official sign of protesters. I'm glad his absence is not a waste says Pawinchwaranaphongphan, a scholar who criticizes the institution of the king. Living asylum in Japan
Displeasure shows are wide open on social media. Newsletter, king's movements, his flight, or bicycling in German countryside. Time to stop by for a short time to celebrate April. In the past, there was no rule of detention during the COVID-19 epidemic. There was a hashtag #King. Why was it tweeted over a million times in Thailand?
The Royal List Market Place group on Facebook talking about and making fun of the King's Academy - and using the king's photo slides water in bath pants - which was founded by Pwin has raised nearly nine hundred thousand members since the start. Set in April, Thai official calls for Facebook to ban this page according to Pwin's word, but it's still running.
′′ As an owner of this page, I've seen spark protests expanding to all provinces in Thailand He said I think it could lead to a major political change. I never expected to see students protest at this point. Been fighting for ten years to openly criticize the King's Institute, but what's happening still shock me that it's possible
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Cowshed Cowboy
- Expatriate
- Posts: 2033
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- Reputation: 978
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
No doubt he'll be personally dishing out the orders while here and how he wants the protestors dealt with. Will be interesting to see how they handle the next rally. Really need a massive turnout so it proves as difficult as possible for the Junta to react.
Yes sir, I can boogie, I can boogie, boogie, boogie all night long.
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phuketrichard
- Expatriate
- Posts: 16884
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
- Reputation: 5785
- Location: Atlantis
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
Cowshed Cowboy wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:47 am No doubt he'll be personally dishing out the orders while here and how he wants the protestors dealt with. Will be interesting to see how they handle the next rally. Really need a massive turnout so it proves as difficult as possible for the Junta to react.
this might be an interesting day in BangkokBREAKING—King Vajiralongkorn is on his way back to Thailand to see his mother Sirikit on her birthday, as historic protests across the country demand reform of the monarchy.
As usual with Vajiralongkorn, who is always notoriously late for everything, the plane departed more than two hours behind schedule.
Vajiralongkorn is furious about the protests, and is demanding action from the military and government to crush them. The palace has ordered all Thai media to not report the demands of the protesters.
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
Re: O dear, Protests in Bangkok
There are some very brave people speaking out, I am full of admiration for their courage.
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