In Bangkok, young Thai protesters inspired by Hong Kong demand change but fear blowback
- Student-led protests have flickered at campuses across Thailand since last year’s elections, won by former junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha
- Saturday’s event in central Bangkok drew thousands, and appeared to borrow heavily from last year’s massive rallies in Hong Kong for its imagery
But in a country with a grim record of crushing student movements, such a political awakening could prove dangerous for those who followed calls over social media to descend on the capital’s Democracy Monument – a symbolic spot which commemorates the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.
For years, Thailand’s political scene has been dominated by short-lived governments linked to the pro-democracy “red” and pro-establishment “yellow” blocs, and defined by their rival street protests.
03:03
Thousands take to the streets of Thai capital Bangkok to protest against the government
But many of the protesters interviewed for this article, who often only gave one name out of fears for their safety or other repercussions, said they did not follow a colour – instead they are part of a new generation, knitted together by social media, hashtags and memes.
Ice, Bass and Sien, three 18-year-olds from different parts of Thailand who travelled to the capital for their first ever protest on Saturday, said posts they had seen online deconstructing government policy had helped open their eyes to Thailand’s weak education system, faltering economy and restrictive laws on free speech.
“But once I got access to information – knowledge – I realised we have been fooled and oppressed all along. This country is full of secrets and lies – how could they not teach us [at school] about the 1932 revolution?”