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When college student Rung calmly read 10 demands to reform Thailand’s monarchy to thousands of protesters at a pro-democracy rally this month, she defied the country’s biggest political taboo.
Backed by an arch-royalist army and protected by draconian royal defamation laws, the super-wealthy monarchy wields enormous influence in almost every sphere of Thai society.
But Rung, 21, whose real name is Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, said the August 10 protest at Thammasat University on the outskirts of Bangkok was “the right time” to call for a change, although she risked being arrested. .
“When I left the stage, I felt like I had pushed the limits … raised the limits on how people can talk about the monarchy,” the bespectacled sociology and anthropology student told AFP.
That rally was one of many almost daily rallies, some of which drew thousands, in Thailand as the democracy movement gained traction, led by university students like her.
The demands Rung announced that day included more transparency for the royal family’s fortune and the abolition of the royal defamation law, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail per charge.
Born in 1998 in Nonthaburi to a middle-class family that runs an auto shop, Rung said she grew up largely unaware of political developments, but one incident stood out.
When he was 10 years old, his entire neighborhood was driven out onto the streets to wait for a royal caravan to pass.
“I remember thinking, ‘Why did I have to go? Why did they have to force me and other people to kneel?'”
“This was the incident that marked my conscience.”
A few years later, when he was 15, Rung became “radicalized” as he watched the 2014 coup unfold.
“The soldiers do not have the authority to govern the country and all that was transmitted then was propaganda,” he told AFP at his university residence.
Inspired by protests for democracy in Hong Kong, Thai activists are calling for a full overhaul of the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a former army chief who led the 2014 coup.
For today’s protesters, the Prayut administration is emblematic of a coup-happy army entrenched in the country’s political establishment long seen as serving only the elite.
Sitting on the cusp of power is King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Since he ascended to the throne in 2016, he has made unprecedented changes to the institution.
He has taken personal control of the palace fortune, worth an estimated $ 60 billion, and also moved two army units under his direct command.
The burgeoning youth-led movement wants changes “aimed at sustaining the monarchy in a way that suits” the modern world, Rung said.
On Wednesday, activists presented the demands to a parliamentary committee, a move that does not guarantee discussion among MPs, but symbolizes the group’s determination.
“It’s about equality,” Rung emphasized.
“No one should be more important or superior than others.”
But talking comes at a cost.
At least nine pro-democracy activists who fled Thailand since the 2014 coup have disappeared in the past two years, according to Human Rights Watch.
And while the royal defamation law has not been used against any of the accused activists so far, authorities have hit Rung and other student leaders with multiple charges, including sedition.
That carries a maximum sentence of up to seven years in jail.
Prayut has claimed that their demands are unacceptable to most of the country, warning on Wednesday that Thailand would be “engulfed in flames” if protesters push too hard.
Some analysts, and even student leaders themselves, have recalled the events of 1976, when students protesting the return of a military dictator were shot, beaten to death, and lynched by state forces and royalist mobs.
For now, Rung faces legal threats and could be arrested. But she says she’s “ready” for what comes next.
He continues to travel to rallies outside of Bangkok to deliver speeches and helps organize future meetings in encrypted message groups.
“I knew that after reading the 10 lawsuits, my life would change forever,” said the soft-spoken activist while playing with her kitten.
“He still had to.”
pit-dhc / qan
