BANGKOK (Reuters) – Hundreds of Thai protesters sang a jingle of Japanese cartoons on Sunday with taunts mocking the government as hungry hamsters feast on taxpayer money, part of a new youth protest movement that they say are using whimsical tactics for serious purposes.
Thai youth have been challenging the coronavirus ban at gatherings to hold protests almost daily since last week. The first demonstration, carried out by a group called the Free Youth Movement, drew more than 2,000 activists, one of the largest anti-government protests since a coup in 2014.
At the Sunday rally, protesters sang new lyrics to the title track for “Hamtaro,” a Japanese cartoon about a hamster who loves sunflower seeds. They ran in circles around the Bangkok Democracy Monument, like hamsters running on a wheel.
“The most delicious food is taxpayer money,” they sang. “Dissolve parliament! Dissolve parliament! Dissolve parliament!
Leaders of the Free Youth Movement have said they will return to the streets for another large-scale demonstration next week if their demands are not met, including the dissolution of parliament, the revision of a constitution written by the army, and harassment of government critics.
Some of the protests have been whimsical, but protesters say their political goals are serious.
“Adults may think we are doing this, they cannot take us seriously. But this is the way for the new generation, ”said a 20-year-old protester who identified herself as Fah. “We are doing this differently in hopes that something will change.”
Report by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Additional reports from Juarawee Kittisilpa; Kay Johnson and Peter Graff Edition
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