Sunday, October 18, 2020

Thailand latest: Demonstrators return with posters of arrested leaders

Yingluck takes jab at Prayuth on Twitter; petition against king gains steam

Demonstrators hold posters of protest leaders who have been arrested during a rally in Bangkok on Oct. 18. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writersOctober 15, 2020 07:17 JSTUpdated on October 18, 2020 19:02 JST

Thailand's protesters are expected to come out in force across Bangkok again on Sunday afternoon. They have proved in recent days that bad weather, a police crackdown and public transit suspensions are not enough to keep them at home. With tensions running high and activists showing no signs of giving in, the authorities' next move is a major question mark.

For all our coverage, visit our Turbulent Thailand page. Here's how things have unfolded so far:

Sunday, Oct. 18 (Bangkok time)

4:55 p.m. Some demonstrators are holding up pictures of protest leaders who have been detained by the authorities. Though Victory Monument is the main site, social media posts show another growing gathering at the Asoke intersection.

4:25 p.m. Today's main protest site is Bangkok's Victory Monument. Images posted on social media show a crowd starting to build. Hoping to deter the young people who are driving the movement, the authorities have threatened that protesters who take and post selfies at the marches could face legal action.

2:41 p.m. Once again, the authorities are shutting down key transport hubs in an attempt to keep crowd sizes in check. The government says services will resume "when the situation becomes normal."

1:47 p.m. Mary Lawlor, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders, expresses "alarm" over the situation in Thailand.

11:09 a.m. Activist group FreeYouth issues an online call for fresh protests across Bangkok starting at 3 p.m. today. After a sweeping shutdown of public transportation on Saturday failed to deter thousands of people from packing the streets, how will the authorities respond this time?

1:10 a.m. An online petition calling on Germany to declare Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn a persona non grata has reached nearly 140,000 signatures out of a goal of 150,000, according to Change.org.

The petition -- posted in Thai, English and German -- is addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and senior German lawmakers. It says the king and his entourage have "travelled between Thailand and Germany at their own leisure, disregarding any regulations in place both [countries] only for the sake of their own convenience."

Asked recently by a member of parliament how Berlin would respond to the king engaging in domestic politics from German soil, Maas said: "We would always clearly counteract efforts by guests in our country to conduct affairs of state from our country."

Thailand has blocked access to Change.org in response to the petition, the BBC has reported.

0:53 a.m. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong once again draws a parallel between the Thai protests and last year's demonstrations in the Chinese city.

Saturday, Oct. 17

8:00 p.m. Although participants have been saying there are no leaders and that "everyone is a leader," announcements can be heard telling people to leave and gather again tomorrow. Stay tuned on social media, they say. Groups of demonstrators are heeding the call at several places, including Lat Phrao intersection, which appears to have been the site of tonight's biggest rally. It sounds like more protests and transport disruptions are in store.

7:50 p.m. Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was replaced by a junta led by current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in 2014, speaks out with a Twitter message directed squarely at him.

She asks whether Prayuth remembers when protesters demanded her resignation six years ago. Yingluck writes that back then, Prayuth had asked her a question: "Whether I can continue my government?"

"Today," she says, "the same incident has happened to you, when more than 100,000 students and the Thai people demand you resign. ... I hope you can recall what you asked me and I hope you would decide immediate to choose the strategy to bring the country to peace and prosperity."

7:25 p.m. Social media posts suggest some of the protests are beginning to disperse peacefully, answering rally organizers' call to head home by 8 p.m.

6:50 p.m. Like Joshua Wong, fellow Hong Kong activist Nathan Law also tweeted earlier this evening in support of the Thai protesters. Meanwhile, big crowds are still out on the streets of Bangkok.

5:02 p.m. Protest organizers call on participants to wrap it all up by 8 p.m. this evening, urging them to rest and fight another day. But will the authorities let the rallies run their course or step in like they did last night?

"We will fight together until the dark powers are over," activist group Free Youth tweets.

4:50 p.m. Another day, another sizable crowd marching through Bangkok.

4:30 p.m. The lack of public transportation certainly isn't stopping everyone. Here are a couple of early pictures from today's rallies.

Protesters show the three-finger salute at Udomsuk station in Bangkok on Oct. 17. (Reuters)

An activist covered in blue paint -- possibly symbolizing the blue-colored water police fired on demonstrators yesterday. (Reuters)

3:45 p.m. Rally organizers have named not one but at least three main target locations for protests. They are:

1) Lat Phrao intersection, which is close to the CentralPlaza Ladprao shopping center, the Energy Ministry and state oil and gas company PTT's headquarters.

2) Wong Wian Yai, a large traffic circle in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, where a statue of King Taksin is situated.

3) Udomsuk intersection in the west of the city, a major gateway to other cities like Chonburi, Rayong as well as Pattaya; the intersection is also close to a commercial area.

Road and public transport closures could make it difficult for many would-be protesters to reach these areas, but they could also make their way through the city's web of smaller streets.

3:03 p.m. Transportation around Bangkok is severely disrupted. The BTS SkyTrain service, a key part of the city's transit network, has just tweeted that all its stations will be closed for the rest of today.

11:59 a.m. "Today, the rally will be held at 16:00, place not yet" set, the pro-democracy group People's Party 2020 says in a statement.

"After the crackdown on 16 October, we learned that government and military are an enemy to people," the statement reads. Urging protesters to return, the group says everyone is a leader and asks people "to prepare your body and mind to be ready for the rally today, and be ready to handle ... the crackdown that may be done again."

0:38 a.m. Joshua Wong, the Hong Kong activist, expresses solidarity with Thailand's pro-democracy movement. "People should not be afraid of their governments," he tweets. "Only governments should be afraid of their people."

Friday, Oct. 16 (Bangkok time)

10:48 p.m. "I got caught and I'm going to the Police Station," activist Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, also known as Ford, tweets.

9:40 p.m. State television broadcasts a rare video of King Maha Vajiralongkorn speaking directly to a group of local loyalists during an audience at Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University in northeastern Thailand on Thursday. "I think now you understand that the nation needs people who love the nation and the institution" of the monarchy, the king tells them. "All the experiences you've had and all the work you've done can be beneficial. You can teach the new generation about the experiences you've had. It will be extremely useful."

8:00 p.m. Some protesters remain at the Pathumwan intersection, but the demonstration leaders announce an end to tonight's rally.

7:40 p.m. Some protesters have fled, while others are sticking around as police push them back. They're moving toward Chulalongkorn University.

7:10 p.m. Police are using water cannons to try to break up the demonstration.

7:00 p.m. Riot police have been moving in on Pathumwan. The situation is tense.

6:00 p.m. The crowd at Pathumwan has swelled, regardless of the rain.

Like Ratchaprasong, the original protest destination, the Pathumwan area is home to large shopping centers. It is also close to the Sra Pathum Palace, the residence of Princess Sirindhorn, the king's sister -- though there is no indication that the protesters are targeting it.

5:10 p.m. The rally organizers are urging people to gather at a different location than originally planned. They have suggested converging on the Pathumwan intersection, about 1 km west of Ratchaprasong. Pathumwan is another big crossing in Bangkok's commercial heart, but lies outside the area sealed by police.

4:05 p.m. Bangkok's BTS Skytrain service posts on Facebook that trains will not be stopping at its Chit Lom and Ratchadamri stations, near the Ratchaprasong intersection where protesters are planning to converge again in less than an hour. Skipping the stations would conform to a police order to stop traffic through the area.

News reports suggest there is a heavy police presence in the area as rain continues to fall.

3:15 p.m. It's a wet, dreary day in Bangkok. Rain started falling around 2 p.m. Showers tend to last an hour or two in this tropical country, but if the weather doesn't clear up, it could discourage some of the more casual protesters from attending this evening's rally.

2:30 p.m. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has told reporters he will not resign, rejecting one of the protesters' demands. He defends the emergency declaration, which was officially approved during a special cabinet meeting in the morning -- hours after demonstrators ignored it.

"It is a necessary procedure given the occurrence of unprecedented violent situations," Prayuth says. The decree is to remain in effect for 30 days.

The prime minister also says a curfew is possible under the "serious emergency" situation. When asked if he would consider introducing martial law, he says it is a possibility if things get really out of hand, but stresses: "We have not reached that point. There is no need for that right now."

12:20 p.m. Six opposition parties, led by the Pheu Thai Party, have issued a joint statement against the government's response to the protests. They say there was "no legitimate reason" to issue the emergency decree banning large gatherings. The law, they argue, is being used "as a political tool in limiting the expression of political opinions."

The statement lists several demands for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and government officials. It calls on them to lift the emergency, guarantee free expression, avoid using the military and refrain from using force. It also urges demonstrators not to resort to violence, and requests a special session of parliament to address "various problems and issues."

8:15 a.m. After a dramatic night that saw thousands stream into central Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection, protest organizers are calling for another rally starting at 5 p.m. today. Like yesterday's demonstration, this would defy an emergency ban on gatherings of five or more people.

While we wait to see how today unfolds, here are some scenes from last night.

A man speaks to the growing crowd of protesters at Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection, known for its glitzy shopping malls. (Reuters)

Police officers gather to respond to the protest, where demonstrators demanded that the government resign and release the movement's detained leaders. (Reuters)

Thousands of demonstrators make the three-finger gesture that has become a trademark of the protests. (Getty Images)

A monk receives an offering from a protester on the street. (Getty Images)

A man shows the three-finger salute, borrowed from "The Hunger Games" franchise of books and films. (Reuters)

4:30 a.m. Human Rights Watch says in a statement that the Thai government's declaration of a state of emergency in Bangkok is "a pretext for a crackdown on peaceful demonstrations."

Noting that the police have arrested at least 22 activists in front of Bangkok's Government House, Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, wrote: "The Emergency Decree provides the Thai government with unchecked powers to suppress fundamental freedoms and ensures zero accountability for officials. Thai authorities should not repress peaceful protests with draconian laws that violate freedom of speech and other civil liberties."

"The Thai government has created its own human rights crisis," Adams wrote. "Criminalizing peaceful protests and calls for political reform is a hallmark of authoritarian rule."

Thursday, Oct. 15

11:00 p.m. The Bangkok Post reports that Thai courts have approved arrest warrants for two activists believed to have been among the protesters when the royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti passed on Phitsanulok Road on Wednesday afternoon. The warrants are for serious charges under Section 110 of the criminal code, but what the activists had allegedly done was not revealed.

Under Section 110, whoever commits an act of violence against the liberty of the queen shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or of 16 to 20 years.

10:00 p.m. Organizers decide to call it a day while public transportation is still running to take protesters home. Whether fired-up demonstrators will simply leave remains uncertain.

8:30 p.m. The demonstrators have broken into a skywalk that had been sealed off by the police before the rally. They forced their way in around 7 p.m., tearing down a metal lattice in the process. The skywalk, which connects Siam and Chidlom stations on Bangkok's BTS Skytrain line, is now occupied by hundreds of people.

7:00 p.m. The CentralWorld mall, despite an earlier statement that it would stay open until 10 p.m. as usual, opted to close an hour ago, citing congestion relief. Big C Supercenter, a supermarket in the area, was closed before 6 p.m.

6:30 p.m. A couple of protesters among the thousands share their thoughts.

"We have been suppressed for long. We want an equal society," says a 26-year-old woman. "Success may not come today. But it is another starting point. We will grow continuously from here."

Another young woman, aged 17, says she feels politics is a "matter for everyone."

"Thai democracy right now is not the real one."

6:00 p.m. Panupong Jadnok, a 24-year-old social activist and one of the key protest leaders who is still free, vows that people will stay through the night, even as police monitor the crowd closely.

"We have occupied this Ratchaprasong area," he says. "I ask all of you who are still fighting for democracy to come and join us tonight."

"Free our friends," protesters shout in unison, demanding police release those who were arrested this morning near Government House.

5:45 p.m. The protest is blocking all traffic through Ratchaprasong intersection. The BTS Sky Train -- a key transport artery -- is working but is reportedly bypassing some nearby stations.

Demonstrators have set up a mobile stage -- basically a big truck with an amplifier -- at the center of the intersection, surrounded by major shopping malls and the luxury Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel. For safety, stores and businesses in the area have allowed employees to go home earlier than expected.

5:25 p.m. The crowd converging on Ratchaprasong intersection has swelled to an estimated few thousand people, as of 5 p.m.

4:45 p.m. Local media reports say police have closed roads leading to Ratchaprasong. A Reuters report estimates the crowd at "hundreds" so far, with chants demanding the release of demonstrators and key movement leaders who were arrested earlier in the day. Reuters describes one protester tying a white bow on the wrist of a policemen, saying, "One day we will stand side by side when Thailand is better."

4:00 p.m. At least some protesters turn up in defiance of the emergency degree as the clock strikes 4 p.m. -- the planned start time for a demonstration in Bangkok's commercial core. Images posted online show police clearing people out of a skywalk. Now a crowd is beginning to swell on the street near Ratchaprasong intersection. It remains difficult to say how much traction this will gain.

3:05 p.m. The outlook for this afternoon's planned protest remains unclear. But a Thai professor tells Nikkei Asia that he does not expect the protesters will back down.

"They will try many methods to challenge the [emergency] declaration," the professor says, "in order to show the international community that this government is not capable of governing the country anymore."

2:25 p.m. Human rights group Amnesty International expresses concern.

"This vague, drastic order will lead to more people unfairly arrested, detained and prosecuted," Ming Yu Hah, deputy regional director for campaigns, says of the emergency decree in a news release. "With further public assemblies expected to happen today, we urge the Thai authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with the protesters."

Ming calls the reaction to the demonstrations "completely unjustified" since they were "overwhelmingly peaceful."

2:00 p.m. "I know they are going to arrest me someday, but we are prepared for that moment," student leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul told Nikkei Asia in an interview two months ago. The third-year undergraduate was one of the protest leaders detained earlier today.

1:35 p.m. The Philippine Embassy in Thailand warns Filipinos in the country to avoid crowded areas and follow authorities' instructions, according to local media reports.

1:30 p.m. Reuters reports that the police and army intend to use checkpoints to stop protesters from gathering.

1:10 p.m. CentralWorld, one of the largest malls in Bangkok and situated on the northwest corner of the Ratchaprasong intersection, has installed fences around its periphery to deter protesters from entering. A mall representative tells Nikkei Asia that the plan is to stay open for the regular operating hours, until 10 p.m.

Gaysorn, another mall on the northeast corner, has also set up fencing. Students at a nearby school have been told to go home early to avoid a possible showdown.

12:05 p.m. So far, it appears to be business as usual in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong area, picked as the gathering point for a possible rally this afternoon. There have been no announcements by major malls of plans to close early, as of noon. Still, the police request to avoid the area later today could affect the flow of shoppers.

12:00 p.m. For an in-depth look at what is motivating young Thais to take to the streets, read our Big Story from earlier this year. "After years of silence, the young generations have reached a threshold, a trigger point," one expert told Nikkei Asia.

11:40 a.m. Meanwhile, diplomacy continues. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives at the Government House in a black sedan for talks with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Reuters says they are expected to discuss cooperation on recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

11:10 a.m. Bangkok's deputy police chief, Piya Tawichai, says about 2,000 officers will be dispatched from noon to the vicinity of Ratchaprasong intersection, in case demonstrators follow through on plans for another rally. The public is advised to avoid the area -- the commercial heart of the city -- from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Piya also confirms 20 demonstrators were arrested as of 7:30 a.m., including three key leaders. This does not include the arrest of Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, another movement leader, who was taken into custody later in the morning.

10:15 a.m. Thailand's benchmark SET index falls as much as 1% in early trading, suggesting at least some investor unease over what the government is now calling the "serious emergency situation."

9:40 a.m. A number of key protest leaders have been arrested, including one who posted a video clip encouraging people to continue with a protest in another part of Bangkok this afternoon.

In light of the emergency decree, police would likely turn out in force for this. Stay tuned.

6:47 a.m. Thai riot police clear thousands of protesters from outside the prime minister's office, according to Reuters.

6:14 a.m. Here is a preliminary translation of the government's announcement signed by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha:

"Many people have instigated and mobilized illegal public gatherings in Bangkok with many ways and channels that caused chaos and disorder. There was conduct that affected the royal motorcade, and there was reason to believe there was violent conduct that affected state security, safety in life or assets of the people and state. This was not a peaceful gathering endorsed by the constitution. It also directly affects the control of COVID-19, which directly affects the vulnerable economy of the nation. It is very important to have urgent measures to fix this and halt this conduct effectively so the law is respected and the public is in order. Therefore, following Section 5 and Section 11 of the emergency decree, the prime minister has declared a state of severe emergency on Oct. 15 from 4 a.m. onward."

6:08 a.m. The government orders a ban on gatherings of five or more people in Bangkok, according to an official document accompanying the emergency decree.

Under measures that took effect from 4 a.m. local time, authorities have the power to ban people from entering any area they designate.

It also bars the "publication of news, other media, and electronic information that contains messages that could create fear or intentionally distort information, creating misunderstanding that will affect national security or peace and order."

5:30 a.m. Thai state television announces that the government has issued an emergency decree, citing a need to maintain peace and order.

Protesters have called for the ouster of junta leader-turned-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha as well as a new constitution. They have also called for reforms to the monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

A royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida had earlier encountered demonstrators, who flashed three-finger salutes. She smiled and waved back. The king's motorcade later passed along the road without incident on his way to a ceremony at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha near the Grand Palace.

State television said: "As it appears that many groups of people have invited and incited illegal public assemblies in Bangkok ... acted to affect the royal motorcade and committed severe actions that affected national security ... it is extremely necessary to introduce an urgent measure to end this situation effectively and promptly to maintain peace and order," according to Reuters.

Thai protesters take to streets in new show of defiance

Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Chayut Setboonsarng,
Reuters•October 18, 2020

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hundreds of Thai anti-government protesters demonstrated in Bangkok on Sunday, again defying a ban on protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the powerful monarchy.

Demonstrations have persisted despite the arrest of dozens of protesters and their leaders, the use of water cannon and shutdowns on much of Bangkok's metro rail system in a bid to quell over three months of street action.

Protesters moved quickly from point to point, posting different sites for possible demonstrations on social media.

"We will stay until it's over or move to another location with other activists," said Dee, 25, one of several dozen protesters at Asok, one of the busiest interchanges in Bangkok. Hundreds gathered at the Victory Monument, nearly 5 km (3 miles)away by road.

Protesters at Asok put up handwritten up notices on the shuttered station that read "Does licking the boots of the dictator taste good?" and other using coarser language.

A few police gathered on the other side of the interchange but did not immediately intervene.

"We are committed to maintain peace and order. In order to do so we are bound by laws, international standards, human rights." police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen told a news conference.

Protesters say Prayuth engineered last year's election to keep power he seized in a 2014 coup - an accusation he denies.

The demonstrations have also become more openly critical of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo, demanding curbs to its powers despite potential jail terms of up 15 years for anyone insulting the king.

The Royal Palace has made no comment on the protests but the king has said Thailand needed people who love the country and the monarchy.

The government banned demonstrations in Bangkok on Thursday.

During demonstrations by tens of thousands of people at multiple points across Bangkok on Saturday, protesters painted a flag on the road with "Republic of Thailand" written across it. The writing was painted out overnight.

Across Thailand, demonstrations were being organised in at least 19 other provinces in solidarity on Sunday. Solidarity protests were also being held or planned in Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, France, the United States and Canada.

(Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Transit shutdowns fail to deter fourth day of Thai pro-democracy protests in Bangkok

William Cummings, USA TODAY •October 17, 2020

BANGKOK — Pro-democracy activists in Thailand staged a fourth straight day of high-profile protests in the capital on Saturday, thwarting efforts by the authorities to stop them, including a shutdown of the city’s mass transit systems.

Unlike protests a day earlier, in which police used a water cannon to disperse protesters, Saturday’s demonstrations were peaceful, with no reports of any clashes by the time participants started heading home in the evening.

The protesters are calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to leave office, the constitution to be amended to make it more democratic and the nation’s monarchy to undergo reform.

All stations of Bangkok’s elevated Skytrain transit system were closed Saturday afternoon to try to keep protesters from gathering. The underground MRT system was also shut, and police blocked off several roads.

Protesters met anyway as planned at the Skytrain stations, where they held small impromptu rallies, in effect establishing a temporary but active presence across the city.

The organizers then issued a fresh advisory for followers to gather at three stations outside the city’s central area, where access was easier. Once that was announced, money was pooled by participants so they could take taxis to get around the transit shutdown.

"Right now we can do nothing much," said a 26-year-old hotel worker who asked to be called only Veronica. "What we can do right now is only show our power to let the outside see."

Several thousand people gathered in multiple locations, with some taking turns airing their views over a megaphone. By the evening, police had not disturbed them, even when some groups took to marching in the street. Protesters began dispersing at 8 p.m., the time organizers had said the protests would end.

More: Thailand king reinstates his royal consort after saying she undermined his wife, country's queen

The protesters acted despite a state of emergency imposed by Prayuth on Thursday that makes them all subject to arrest.

They also appeared not to be cowed by a crackdown on their rally in central Bangkok on Friday night, in which riot police backed up by water cannons cleared the streets in about an hour.

No major injuries were reported from that confrontation. It was the first time in three months of sporadic protests that the authorities have employed such forceful tactics against the student-led movement.

A 20-year-old student who used the name Ryo said Friday night’s events had hardened his resistance.

"I respect people’s political opinions, but after yesterday’s incident, I feel it was so harsh, perpetrating violence against unarmed people who had no weapons to fight back," he said.

Protective gear such as goggles was distributed Saturday at some venues.

Friday night’s violent dispersal led the People’s Party, the protesters’ umbrella organization, to declare in a statement that "the government and military have established themselves as the enemy of the people." Most of the group’s top leaders have been arrested.

The protesters have been doing their best to elude the authorities, using social media to assemble followers before police have time to block them. The government has announced plans to take legal action against Twitter and Facebook accounts that announce the protests, but fresh calls to action were posted Saturday.

The protesters charge that Prayuth, who as army commander led a 2014 coup that toppled an elected government, was returned to power unfairly in last year’s general election because laws had been changed to favor a pro-military party. The protesters say a constitution promulgated under military rule and passed in a referendum in which campaigning against it was illegal is undemocratic.

The call by the protesters for reform of the monarchy has significantly raised the political temperature in Thailand, angering many older conservative Thais for whom any critical discussion of the royal family is tantamount to treason.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and other key members of the royal family are protected by a lese majeste law that has regularly been used to silence critics who risk up to 15 years in prison if deemed to have insulted the institution.

Prayuth’s declaration of a state of emergency said the measure was necessary because "certain groups of perpetrators intended to instigate an untoward incident and movement in the Bangkok area by way of various methods and via different channels, including causing obstruction to the royal motorcade."

He was referring to an incident Wednesday that showed some members of a small crowd heckling a motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn as it slowly passed.

On Friday, two activists were arrested under a law covering violence against the queen for their alleged part in the incident. They could face up to life in prison if convicted. They denied any wrongdoing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thailand: Pro-democracy protests roil Bangkok for fourth day

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending

Thailand protests: 'My father is blinded by his love for the monarchy'

BBC•October 17, 2020

A father and son - both annoyed - look away from each other.

"My father taught me that criticising our king was a sin. A taboo."

But Danai, 19, is now defying his father's warning. A law student in Bangkok, he is one of tens of thousands of protesters who have packed the streets of the Thai capital every month this summer, demanding reform of the monarchy.

His father Pakorn is a well-travelled, upper middle class man. His name and his son's name have been changed to protect their identity.

Although they don't live in the same house, they still see each other often. But every time they meet, they avoid speaking about one subject: the monarchy.

"If we talk about it we'll have a row and it will ruin our day," Danai says.

"Once we had an argument in our car after I criticised the king. For my father the king is untouchable. I asked, why? He said that I am too young to understand. He got very angry, then he went quiet and wouldn't speak to me."

Danai's family isn't alone. Disagreements like this over the role of an institution with sacrosanct status in Thailand is playing out in homes - in cities and in the countryside - around the country.
Falling out online

But families in Thailand don't just argue about the monarchy face-to-face, many decide to have it out on social media.

And things can get pretty extreme.

When a university student in the northern city of Chiang Mai revealed on Facebook in September that her father wanted to sue her because of her anti-monarchy views, he responded by posting that she was no longer allowed to use his family name.

Pakorn believes that university teachers are responsible for his son's behaviour.

"In Thai society there are groups of hard-core people who are anti-royalists. Also the internet and social media keep pouring out misleading information and fake news. Young people absorb quickly without filtering," he says.

Danai challenged his father about the monarchy for the first time when he was 17.

"We were at the cinema. Before the film started, when the royal anthem was played as usual, everyone stood up to pay respect to the king. I didn't want to do that, so I stayed in my seat. My father forced me to get up, but I resisted. Only when people started staring at us, did I finally stand."

Pakorn forces his son Danai to stand up while the royal anthem is playing at the cinema.

Refusing to stand when the royal anthem was playing used to be illegal in Thailand, until the law was repealed in 2010. But failing to do so is still seen by many as disrespecting the monarchy.

Historic tradition

Thais are taught from birth to revere and love their king, but also to fear the consequences of speaking out against him. The so-called Land of Smiles is one of a very small number of countries with a lese majeste law. This means that criticising the king, the queen or the heir to the throne is illegal - and anyone doing so could be jailed for up to 15 years.

Today, Danai doesn't stand up in the cinema any more.

Since July, thousands of university students have taken to the streets, and have continued to do so despite a state of emergency in recent days and the arrest of many of the protest leaders.

They are demanding curbs on the king's nearly unlimited powers and finances. These requests may seem tame to people in other parts of the world, but in Thailand no one has publicly challenged the monarchy in modern history.

The student protests shocked most Thais - including Danai's father, Pakorn.

"I was born in the reign of King Rama IX. He did more for his people than for his own children. When he was ill, I was ready to leave this world if that could have made him live longer. But Generation Z, like my son, don't have that experience."

A new king

A new generation of Thais are protesting against the monarchy, risking long jail terms

This clash of generations would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. But the crowning of the new monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, changed everything.

The new king is rarely seen in public, and spends most of his time in Germany - even more so since Thailand was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

There have been questions over his decision to take personal command of all military units based in Bangkok - a concentration of military power in royal hands unprecedented in modern Thailand.

His private life is also much talked about. Divorced three times, he married last year for a fourth time. He also appointed a woman who'd been his bodyguard as his official consort, before disowning and then reinstating her.

By contrast, the late King Rama IX was seen by many as semi-divine. Everywhere he went people would lie before him and call themselves "the dust under his feet".

Pakorn saw the late king in person twice.

"One time, I was in my car and I saw him driving by himself, coming in the opposite direction. There was no motorcade, no sirens. Our eyes met. I was shocked. I think he just wanted to do things like other people, easy and informal. I felt he had an aura around him, his presence was very special."

However during the last 10 years of Rama IX's life, he was ill and stayed in hospital most of the time.

Young Thais like Danai rarely saw him in public. Even so, when the king died Danai posted messages on Facebook showing his sadness and gratitude toward him.

He told the BBC he now regrets doing that.

"I've just realised that what I was told about him at the time or before that was all propaganda."

Questioning the past

Danai can't understand his father's feelings for the king.

"He is blinded by his love for the monarchy. Talking to him is like talking to a wall. He doesn't want to listen. For now, the only thing I want from my father is for him to be open-minded about this subject, as he normally is with any another issue."

Danai believes his mother is also a royalist but does not support the monarchy as much as his dad. She doesn't ever criticise the monarchy however - and she thinks the protests will fail.

"My mum thinks that reforming the monarchy is something out of reach and protesters can't make this happen," says Danai.

Pakorn says he does not know if getting older and wiser in the future will help his son get closer to him again, and put them back on the same track they both used to be on.

Danai is not sure either.

"It might be possible that I might change my mind about the institution. But I don't think it will happen because I will get older," he says.

"It depends on what happens in reality and the information I receive."

The souring of their relationship because of their opposing views on the king reflects a widening generational divide emblematic of Thai society.

Since the student protests started, families all over Thailand have become increasingly divided.

Parents and children, brothers and sisters, aunts and nephews are all becoming strangers.

A young generation of Thais is questioning the monarchy and everything it represents - and this is likely to be just the beginning of a long, internal struggle.
Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting.

The student daring to challenge Thailand’s monarchy

Why Thai protesters are willing to break the law

The satirist who vanished in broad daylight

'Their voice is vital' - Thai celebs break silence on democracy protests

Dene-Hern CHEN, AFP • October 17, 2020

1 / 4

Thailand's pro-democracy protester have adopted the three-finger salute from "The Hunger Games" books and films

A K-pop superstar, beauty queens and TV personalities are among a growing wave of celebrities backing Thailand's pro-democracy movement, sending out messages of support to millions of followers on social media.

Political statements are unusual from Thai celebs, whose lucrative endorsements rely on the billionaire clans that are a pillar of the country's establishment. But some prominent figures broke cover after police fired water cannon at peaceful protesters in Bangkok on Friday.

Thai-American K-Pop idol Nichkhun, better known as the "Thai Prince", told his 6.9 million Twitter followers he cannot "stand idly by" after Friday's scenes, an escalation after months of student-led protests.

"The use of violence is something I cannot watch and stand idly by," said Nichkhun, a member of ultra-popular South Korean boy band 2PM, in a message that was retweeted by tens of thousands within hours.

"Violence has never helped anything. I hope everyone stays safe... and take care of yourselves."

Friday's showdown was the first such use of force against the protesters, who are calling for the resignation of Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a former military chief brought to power in a 2014 coup, and demanding reforms to the powerful monarchy.

It followed a tense week in the Thai capital when protesters defied a ban on demonstrations, and the arrests of scores of leading activists, to return to the streets in their tens of thousands.

Nichkhun wasn't the only celebrity to speak up. Amanda Obdam, the newly crowned Miss Universe Thailand, took to Instagram with pictures of a lone protester pushing against riot police wielding their shields.

"A picture says a thousand words," the Thai-Canadian model wrote. "Your job is to protect the people not harm them."

- 'Abuse of power' -

Previously, many stars have remained conspicuously silent on hot-button issues in celebrity-obsessed Thailand, where their careers and income are closely tied to product endorsements.

Alienating potential employers may be a reason -- especially in a kingdom where every sector hums along under the oversight of the multi-billion-dollar business empires, traditional supporters of the ultra-wealthy royal family.

But business student Min, who arrived at Saturday's protest with a helmet and a gas mask, said celebrities have a moral obligation to speak up.

"They are in the elite alongside the government," the 18-year-old told AFP. "Their voice is vital."

That voice grew louder this week. Another former beauty queen, TV personality Maria Poonlertlarp, said in a video on Facebook that the treatment of protesters was "completely unjust".

She had grown more vocal since the July disappearance of Thai pro-democracy activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit, who was kidnapped off the streets of Cambodia where he lived in self-exile.

"People have been silenced from speaking up about the double standards and the abuse of power," she said in tears, switching between Thai and English.

"We've had a lot of injustice going on in Thailand for decades, fighting against our government for democracy," she added.

Seated next to Maria in the video was her partner Wannasingh Prasertkul, a television presenter whose parents were part of a student movement that saw a massacre in 1976 by royalist forces in Bangkok.

- 'Ignorant people are silent' -

Even some celebrities who have mixed with Thailand's leaders have spoken out. Popular girl band BNK48 visited Prayut at Government House in 2018, where officially released photos showed the normally gruff premier chatting cheerfully with the group.

The visit drew ire from critics who saw it as an attempt to soften the image of the former army chief, who masterminded the 2014 coup and retained power in controversial elections last year.

But BNK48 member Milin "Namneung" Dokthian left no room for doubt about her feelings in a message urging protesters to "stay safe" this week.

"We wouldn't have to say 'be safe' if we had a true democracy," she wrote on Facebook, in a post shared by fellow band-members.

The support from some celebrities, and silence from others, are not lost on the young protesters. Juggling goggles and a helmet at Saturday's protest, 25-year-old Aim scoffed at those who refuse to speak up.

"Perhaps they are out of touch and have grown up in a (privileged) situation," she told AFP, adding that the fans are paying attention.

"We will abandon them because they are ignorant people and are silent."

bur-dhc/th

Thailand blocks Change.org as petition against king gains traction

BBC•October 16, 2020

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has ruled Thailand since 2016 but has spent a lot of his time in Bavaria

Thailand has blocked access to online petition site Change.org, after it hosted a petition calling for King Maha Vajiralongkorn to be declared persona non grata in Germany.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said the petition's contents violated Thailand's Computer Crime Act.

King Vajiralongkorn has been criticised by protesters for spending much of his time in Germany.

The petition attracted nearly 130,000 signatures before the site was blocked.

It comes as Thailand is seeing some of its biggest pro-democracy protests in years.

Protesters are demanding amendments to the constitution, a new election and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Why Thai protesters are willing to break the law

Thailand's lese-majeste law explained

They are also calling for curbs on the king's power, in a country where criticism of the monarchy is punishable by long prison sentences.
Thailand's biggest challenge

The petition - written in Thai, English and German - was originated by a Thai graduate student in France, according to BBC Thai.

In it, he called for Germany to declare the king persona non grata and disallow him from continuing "any further residence in Germany".

It attracted almost 130,000 signatures before the site was blocked in Thailand, with an online notice saying that the content had been suspended for breaking the Computer-related Crime Act 2007 and or/ the Gambling Act 1935.

The petition, which is still available outside Thailand, comes after Germany's foreign minister said that King Vajiralongkorn should not be engaging in politics from inside Germany.

Speaking in response to a question by an opposition MP, he added that "if there are guests in our country that conduct state business from our soil, we would always want to counteract that".

King Vajiralongkorn ascended to the Thai throne in 2016, but is known to spend much of his time in Bavaria.

He is currently on a visit to Thailand.

On Thursday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the capital Bangkok, despite a government decree banning demonstrations. A day earlier, protesters had jeered and held up their trademark three-finger salute as a motorcade passed carrying the queen through Bangkok.

This emergency decree has now been extended to a month, say local media reports.

The protests were triggered earlier this year after a popular opposition political party was ordered to dissolve. The movement has since become the biggest challenge in years to Thailand's establishment.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Thailand latest: Demonstrators return with posters of arrested leaders

About Me