Are student protests in Thailand the tipping point for change?
Despite threat of arrest, demonstrators call for systematic democratic reforms.
On Thursday, September 3 at 19:30 GMT:
A pro-democracy movement is sweeping Thailand, and young people are leading the charge.
Since July near-daily demonstrations have taken place across the country. Many events have borrowed pop culture themes – from the spells and wands of Harry Potter to the symbolism of the Hunger Games.
Demonstrators have grown increasingly fed up over the political order and what they say is a symbiotic relationship between the monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and the military. Protesters are calling for prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to be removed and parliament dismantled. They also want fresh elections and curbs on the monarch’s political powers.
Tensions reached a turning point in February when the country’s highest court disbanded the Future Forward Party, known for its progressive platform and criticism of the monarchy. Senior leaders of the party, which won a record number of parliamentary seats in March 2019 elections, have been banned from politics for ten years.
The government has attempted to silence critics by arresting some of the most prominent faces of the pro-democracy movement.
In this episode of The Stream, we ask if the ongoing protests in Thailand will bring about change.
On this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Pavin Chachavalpongpun, @PavinKyoto
Associate Professor, Kyoto University
kyotoreview.org
Teirra Kamolvattanavith, @Teirrabyte
Multimedia journalist
tkamolva.com
Emilie Pradichit, @EmiliePradichit
Founder & Executive Director, Manushya Foundation
manushyafoundation.org
Read more:
Why are Thai students protesting against King Vajiralongkorn? – Al Jazeera
Facebook blocks group critical of Thai king as more arrests made – Al Jazeera