Thailands student activists speak out

against political oppression

Stu
dent activist Than Rittiphan: Mixing, diversity, that is Thainess. Yam Salmon is Thainess.

By James Austin
By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Mar 09, 2015
Since the declaration of martial last year in Thailand and subsequent crackdowns on
public dissent, criticism against the junta, led by Prayuth Chan-ocha, who was
appointed Prime Minister by a military-heavy national assembly, has been aired for
the most part in print and online (despite a newly drafted Computer Crimes Act that
includes suitably vague criminalization of the creation and/or dissemination of
information deemed harmful to the country).
Prayuths zero-tolerance stance to criticism is personal as well as legislated. He has
been testy in interviews with the media, throwing a banana skin at a cameraman when
asked to face the camera, and threatening other reporters with detention. He hasnt
dealt with foreign criticism well, either. The PM said he was wounded after his Thaistyle democracy was questioned by the United States as constituting, significant
restraints on freedoms. Prayuths response to the US was largely beguiling, and as he
has done so before he engaged in a kind of double-speak rhetoric stating that at heart

he was democratic, and, I have taken over the power because I want democracy to live
on.
In spite of the barrage of threats conveyed to the public and media under the rubric of
national security, as well as summary detentions of alleged dissidents, the military
government and its malleable version of democracy has found what seems like an
emboldened opposition in the form of groups of students; students protesting against a
number of incidents recently all of which could be called an abuse of human rights.
Anti-coup banners have been seen, and were quickly removed from near to two
universities in Bangkok late last month, asking for the fair treatment of student
protesters and also asking for a fair democracy. This came after two student activists
were sentenced to five years imprisonment their sentences halved for pleading guilty
after staging a play called The Wolf Bride in 2013, that was said to have defamed
the monarchy.
Students, and academics, also protested last week following the dismissal of exiled
Thammasat University history professor Somsak Jeamteerasakul, one of few
academics in Thailand that has consistently breached the narrow parameters of
freedom of speech. Prior to this the Thai Student Center for Democracy (TSCD) staged
a protest February 14 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). As well as
erecting mock voting tables the students also gave out copies of George Orwells 1984,
while as a symbol denoting limits on freedom they used the three figure salute seen in
the Hunger Games films the book, and the salute, had before this time
been suppressed by police to some extent in 2014. Several students were detained by
police and one is currently awaiting charges of violating martial law. A spokesperson
for the group said that TSCD was the last group standing in resistance to the junta
government.
Following these protests the military said it was willing to negotiate with protesters,
while Army chief and deputy defense minister, Udomdej Sitabutr, said that protests
are allowed, but only if they express positive views, and act within the law, which,
has banned groups of more than five people meeting to protest against martial law.
While the freedom to not express criticism may seem paradoxical, and an abuse of
human rights, government General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, Deputy Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister, and Thailands representative to the 28th United Nation Human
Rights Council that met in Geneva on March 4, said that in an attempt to strengthen
national security, the new government had, given much importance to human rights.
It makes no sense at all
Than Rittiphan, 22, a student at KMUTT (King Mongkuts University of Technology
Thonburi), founding member of the TSCD, and the person quoted as saying the group
is the last stance against military rule, told Asian Correspondent that he has been in
hiding since the protests.

Im really upset after hearing about the verdict of Pornthip, he said in a recent
interview concerning the 2 -year jail terms given to Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and
Pornthip Munkong, 26, on charges of lse-majest. Pornthip is a friend of mine; we
were involved in political activities together.
Than calls the verdict, an injustice, saying it violates freedom of speech. People are
convicted but they have no chance to prove their innocence, he says, adding that
because of such long sentences relating to lse-majest people are forced to enter a
guilty plea. It is a problem in this country, he says, we have no avenue for
discourse.
Than calls the governments stance on allowing only positive criticism ridiculous,
saying that, it makes no sense at all. He also says that he, and other students
belonging to the group, wont give up. Nonetheless, he doesnt believe that any political
party is reliable. The groups motivation, he says, is to deny the junta and accomplish
freedom in Thailand; freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of expression.
I think you cant rely on any political party, he explains, People must fight for liberty
and freedom; its the duty of every citizen to fight for that. As it stands, he adds,
within the present political turmoil, people cannot address the salient problems.
A lot of people will have to leave this country The junta see us as criminals. As for
the masses, he believes most Thai people are not behind their movement. He thinks
many of the so-called educated classes understand the problems of a military
government, but he also believes that they are only concerned about their finances
only when politics affects their finances do they take action. He also says that there
hasnt been much support from academics, although he mentions that it was a
Thammasart University deputy dean that helped negotiate the release of one of the
protestors that was arrested in February.
In light of government threats to crack down on student protestors he says that all
TSCD members will accept their fate. We are aware of the three risks, he says:
arrest, death, or having to leave Thailand.
He compares the juntas ideology to that of North Korean cultural propaganda, an
ideology he says that is grounded in Thainess. Its an ideology of dinosaurs, says
Than.
(Thainess is the nebulous concept of being Thai, based on proper codes of conduct
and cultural ethos, currently proselytized through the 12 Core Values that the junta
created in order to (re)educate the Thai youth.)
Mixing, diversity, that is Thainess, says Than, Yam Salmon, is Thainess, he says

an eclectic and unconventional take on the traditional spicy Thai salad.

Being Frank
Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, aka, Frank, 18, is a high school student in Thailand currently
entering his final year. Frank has been outspoken about the reformation of the Thai
education system, having formed the Thailand Educational Revolution Alliance at the
age of 16. His views led to him losing his position as Student President of the
Nawaminthrachinuthit School, and later being interviewed on national television.
After stating that he was sick of Thainess, and oppressive school rules, as well as
rejecting a nomination for a Youth Award from National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) after questioning the NHRCs commitment to human rights,
Frank has been quiet, in the media at least.

Ne
tiwit Frank Chotiphatphaisal. Image via Franks Facebook page.
Nethwit told Asian Correspondent that he has not stopped his activism in support of
democracy and social justice, explaining that he has been concentrating on doing this
through, cultural work, and also working to build a treasury for knowledge.
Education is key, he says, to creating a more just society. If we lack knowledge, our
movement for democracy will be even more difficult to accomplish, he says. He is
currently the coordinator of the Rise Up Thai Students network, and is planning to
start a publishing house, as well as a choir for freedom, in the future.
He calls the TSCD respectable, bravegenuine and sincere in their appeal for
democracy, and although he believes they have the same goals in mind as he, he has
his own way of doing things. If people are not allowed to voice their opinions, Netiwit
believes, democracy can never happen in Thailand, and if there is to be

a democracy that has limits on free speech, such as Thailands previous failed
democracies, then, that democracy cannot be trusted, he says. We live under a
dictatorship This dictator is no better than other dictators we have had in the past;
they claim to return happiness, but they are forcing people not to think for themselves
or ask questions, nor do they let Thai society develop and mature. This is their
objective.
He believes that the current form of government will soon be replaced. The more they
squeeze, he says, the faster it will break. He adds that the governments view is
myopic, that the current crisis is due to leaders considering only the immediate
circumstances. He states that if the government listens to the younger generation, Thai
society could see progress in the future, but he admits that its optimistic.
The clashes in values have grown out of discordance between different generations, he
says, but through education he hopes that he can support a younger generation aware
of these polarized values, and to find a common ground based on real democracy. We
must understand the past generations, every generation, once they become older will
have a strong sense of pride, along with having the benefits they receive from
traditions and fear of change, he says, adding that what one generation thinks is good
now, could actually be a hindrance to social progress in the future.
On the matter of Thainess he believes that the, discourse of Thainess isnt bad as
long as we are aware that it is only a discourse, adding that the meaning of Thainess is
not static, immutable, and it must be ready to, open up and adjust itself. If you
investigate, he says, The Thainess they claim is ours is very much a collection of
foreign cultures and values that we have received and assimilated. The military is
falsely advertising this concept of Thainess. If Thainess is Yam Salmon to Than, to
Frank its simply, forcing Thai people not to think for themselves.
When asked about the meaning of Thai-style democracy, he replies, I dont know
what Thai style democracy is, nor do I know what a western style democracy is, I do
know that contexts and cultures differ everywhere and we must respect that. Every
human being wants to be happy, to have freedom of thought, to speak out, to feel safe,
to have human rights. This we must have, no matter Thai style or western style or
whatever other style there is.
In conclusion he says, We must eradicate the stigma of social class in Thailand,
although he adds that he will not ride his hopes on this happening soon, or when his
own generation become the leaders of the country. The next generations, he says,
will have to try and build a bridge to a culture of democracy, starting now.
About the author:

James Austin is a journalist and fiction writer living in Thailand.

Posted by Thavam