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“The time has come when we can no longer remain silent,” 15 minutes says Git Jirasamatakij, 23, a Thai who works in the field of human rights.
“In the six years since the coup, the government has arrested a large number of people, including my friends. Freedom of expression is mentioned at every step, I couldn’t take it anymore. Going out is a way to contribute something ”Explains why he decided to join the protests started by the students.
Israchai Jonpattranitchapun / Matichon Weekly / Git Jirasamatakij during the protest. Try’s Fingers Got Up Became Protestant Borrowed From The Hunger Games
Political turmoil in Thailand, for one thing, is nothing new. Since the country’s abandonment of absolutism in 1932, the strong support of the army for the monarchy has led to more than a dozen coups. In the country there was a constant confrontation between the so-called yellow shirt, unconditional support for the monarchy, and the pro-democratic forces with the red shirt. However, they are mostly protests organized by students, both in terms of age group and ideological differences with respect to previous demonstrations in the country.
“It just came to our attention then. We no longer talk about who is yellow, who is red. The students don’t belong to any political party. They lost trust in them, so they took to the streets,” says Pavin, associate professor of science. policies in Japan living in Japan. Chachavalpongpunas. It highlights that the protests this year focus exclusively on the reforms to the monarchy as a system of government.
Reuters / Scanpix Photo / Thai exile in Japan, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Associate Professor of Political Science
“In the past, most protests were organized by the working middle class. This is the first time in the last 20 years that protests have been organized by a younger generation of college students. And for the first time in 40 years , school-age teenagers have joined the protest, ”adds Punchada Sirivunnabood, associate professor of political science at Mahid University in Thailand.
“This is a conflict between the young and the old,” he said, emphasizing that the older generation still believes in current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s ability to tackle the country’s problems, including corruption. At the time, the younger generation believed that the prime minister himself came to power illegally and illegally expanded his powers and those of the military in 2017 by passing amendments to the country’s constitution.
Personal Archive Photo / Punchada Sirivunnabood, Associate Professor of Political Science at Mahido University in Thailand
Although now older people have joined the protests, a generation gap is being felt. Protester G. Jirasamatakij says that many young people are not only at risk of going to jail, but also of losing family support by participating in the protests.
“Some students have been evicted from their homes and no longer receive money from their families just because they joined the protest,” he says.
However, to better understand what and why is currently happening in the Southeast Asian state of almost 70 million people, it is worth looking at not only what is happening these days, but also in the last decade.
Inheritance of the throne and the coup
Until 2016, the Kingdom of Thailand was ruled by King Bhumibol Adulyadei, also known as Rama IX. In addition to being upheld by law, the king in the country had absolute authority, he was often deified and people who saw him attacked on their knees.
Photo by Scanpix / Commemoration of the death anniversary of King Rama IX in Bangkok, October 13, 2020.
When the lifelong king died, four years ago it was inherited by his son Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X, who quickly lost the authority created by his father due to controversial behavior.
Until now, the new king has rarely been seen in the country. And when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, severely affecting the economy, the king was on vacation at a luxury hotel in Germany. His personal life and attitude towards women are also criticized. In addition to marrying a fourth woman three times last year, the head of state spends several dozen women in the harem.
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