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Lightning rallies, shield-like umbrellas and human chains: protesters in Thailand have been inspired and learned from their counterparts in Hong Kong.
The protesters in Thailand have been inspired by and learned from their Hong Kong counterparts. (Photo: AFP / Mladen Antonov)
BANGKOK: Umbrellas as shields, safe chat groups, and hand signals as warnings of a pending police crackdown – Thai protesters have been inspired and learned from their Hong Kong counterparts.
Images from Bangkok over the weekend of activists in helmets, goggles and gas masks confronting the police are strongly reminiscent of the methods used last year by Hong Kong protesters.
And to counter the police, Thai activists have also mimicked Hong Kong flash mob rallies and guerilla tactics of “being water”, a philosophy attributed to martial arts hero Bruce Lee.
“Now we are like a fast stream that is ready to change direction at any moment,” said Panumas “James” Singprom, co-founder of Free Youth, one of the main groups in the Thai movement.
“The state has pressured us to adapt quickly.”
Images from Bangkok over the weekend of activists in helmets, goggles and gas masks confronting the police are strongly reminiscent of the methods used last year by Hong Kong protesters. (Photo: AFP / Mladen Antonov)
READ: Thai Prime Minister recalls parliament as protesters increase pressure
Thai protesters have defied accumulated warnings and bans to sustain their movement, which has drawn tens of thousands to the streets in recent months, demanding reforms from the government and the powerful monarchy.
And to avoid surveillance and arrests, like their Hong Kong counterparts, they have relied on encrypted messaging services like Telegram to coordinate protests, receiving only planned locations an hour before each rally.
While the Thai movement has seen some prominent faces emerge, the ongoing arrests have forced protesters to replicate another characteristic of the Hong Kong movement: organizing without obvious leaders and using hashtags to spread their message.
Most of those who show up for the daily protests are “self-organized,” James said.
Thai protesters have defied accumulated warnings and bans to sustain their movement, which has drawn tens of thousands to the streets in recent months. (Photo: AFP / Mladen Antonov)
ALLIANCE “TEA WITH MILK”
The camaraderie between the Hong Kong and Thai protesters was on display in Bangkok on Sunday, with protesters shouting “return Hong Kong to independence, while raising moving lanterns into the night sky.”
And like the sea of raised hands in Hong Kong, signifying the protesters’ five demands, Thai rallies have seen waves of three-fingered salutes taken from the Hunger Games movies.
Advice and support have come from young activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan, dubbed the “Milk Tea Alliance” on social media due to the drink’s popularity in all three locations.
A three-finger salute taken from the book and film series “The Hunger Games” has become a symbol of the Thai protests. (Photo: AFP / Mladen Antonov)
READ: ‘We are all leaders today’ – Arrests don’t stop Thai protests
As footage of Thai police using water cannons on unarmed protesters went viral, Hong Kong activists shared advice on how to handle the situation.
A Hong Kong Twitter user named Crystaljel recommended using umbrellas as shields and carrying saline water, adding: “Make good use of your talent and courage.”
The ubiquitous so-called “umbrella formation” during the Hong Kong protests was used Friday night in Bangkok’s central business district.
By passing dozens of colored umbrellas to those in the front line, they attempted to create a human defense wall while riot police attacked them.
Protesters also formed human chains during Sunday’s protest to pass messages and supplies, including helmets, goggles and water, to those without protection.
This “telephone” system also allowed large crowds to quickly separate themselves from ambulances trying to reach nearby hospitals.
Hand signals taken from Hong Kong creatives were also displayed as young Thais practiced crossing their arms to denote imminent danger.
A man takes cover behind an umbrella during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 16, 2020 (Photo: Reuters / Jorge Silva).
A group of Thai activists come together to protect a rally and lead protesters at the Asok intersection in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2020 (Photo: Reuters / Chayut Setboonsarng).
“MORE COUPLES THAN MEALS”
Like the so-called “brave” in Hong Kong, Thailand also saw groups of self-proclaimed front-line protesters over the weekend, advancing through the crowd as rumors of a crackdown surfaced.
“I want to do more than participate in the protest,” said a 23-year-old college student, who asked not to be named.
“This is the time to step up and protect our friends.”
Protesters raise banners in front of an office building in Central, where the Royal Thai Consulate General is located in Hong Kong on October 19, 2020 (Photo: AP Photo / Vincent Yu)
READ: Thai police order media to investigate protests and restrict Telegram app
Yet despite the similarities, Hong Kong has not seen deadly state repressions of the kind Thailand has witnessed in the past against democratic movements.
A user of the Reddit-like forum from Hong Kong, LIHKG, joked that it was unnecessary for Hong Kong to teach Thais to protest.
“They had more coups than you ate,” he wrote.
“When they used grenades in 2014, you were still singing protest songs.”
