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BANGKOK: Hands pointing above head = needs umbrella; Hands on head = helmet required; Crossed hands on chest = enough supplies here.
Thai protesters are learning a completely new language, developed in a few days to coordinate among the crowds of thousands of people in demonstrations that have multiplied in defiance of a government ban and despite the arrest of many protest leaders.
“Everyone has been helping each other,” said Riam, 19, who, like most protesters, gave only one name. “At first, we had to figure out what people were saying, but with the gestures it’s pretty easy to guess.”
Protesters attend an anti-government rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2020 (Photo: REUTERS / Soe Zeya Tun)
Some of the words in the Thai hand signal vocabulary are the same as those used by protesters in Hong Kong. Some were invented themselves and have now gained common use.
Three months of protests in Thailand have sought to overthrow Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former military leader, and restrict the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s monarchy.
Protesters attend an anti-government rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2020 (Photo: REUTERS / Soe Zeya Tun)
They gained additional momentum last week with a government crackdown that led to the arrest of several of the highest-profile protest leaders and saw police use water cannons for the first time on Friday.
That has also meant the need to be able to quickly move protective equipment and other supplies from one point to another so that everyone can be prepared.
Protesters attend an anti-government rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2020 (Photo: REUTERS / Soe Zeya Tun)
Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen noted that the protest situation was “very dynamic” and that people should understand that their presence there was illegal.
Since Friday, the police have not tried to break up the protests, but the protesters are taking no chances.
Protesters use hand signals during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 19, 2020 (Photo: REUTERS / Athit Perawongmetha)
Their new language only took shape on the weekend, when the groups began teaching and practicing the movements together. Some messages are still transmitted through human chains shouting them in a form of Chinese whispers that are anything but whispered.
“They are all well educated and learning to survive without the leaders,” said Tangmae, 20, while showing some of the signs. “We must communicate so that the protest unfolds in an orderly manner.”
