In this article, Sofia Waldron explains the rising tension and conflict between the Thai people and the Junta government.
For the past six long years, Thai people have been forced to live under the control of the junta government (a military dictatorship) in which they have been utilizing extreme, inhumane, and unjustifiable power to silence and dictate the Thai people. Basic human rights have been violently taken away from the people of Thailand with the banning of actions such as public gatherings and censorship of the media. The current constitution (put into practice in 2017) allows authoritarianism and abuse of power to take place and be passed off as “normal”. Many fearless students and activists from all over Thailand face the likely threat of being assaulted, taken captive, and being threatened each time they voice their correct thoughts on their government.
Because of many street protests against a populist government concerning Thaksin Shinawatra, On May 22, 2014, the Thai Military overthrew the previous elected government for the second time in a decade to reimpose structure in their society. Around two years later in 2016, Maha Vajiralongkorn took power once his father Bhumibol Adulyadej died after a long 70-year reign and approved a new constitution backed by the military that increases his powers as king. Prayuth Chan-Ocha (former prime minister of a military government and staged the 2014 overthrow), leads a pro-army party and wins amidst allegations of vote-buying and cheating. This election split the country with two groups, one in support of Prayuth, and the other against him. Despite restrictions stemming from the outbreak of coronavirus, the hashtag “#why do we need a king?” is used more than 1 million times by protesters to still direct criticism against the king and government in quarantine. In early June of this year, protests were held for the investigation of a government critic that disappeared in Cambodia, and about a month later 2,500 protesters assembled at the Democracy Monument, demanding for new elections and the termination of parliament.
The people of Thailand demand three changes to their government and not one less. They demand the eradication of Parliament, a new constitution, and as well for the government to allow their people to have the freedom and a voice in their country. Symbols of protest against the government include the hunger games three-finger salute, blank pieces of paper, and white ribbons. The government has not reacted sympathetically and calmly to the people of Thailand and has instead charged and arrested multiple citizens for going out to these protests and have accused them of spreading false and misleading information and speaking up about their government online. In addition to these accusations, 53 Thai citizens were held captive in military prisons in Nakhon Chai Si and Thung Song Hong as well as 6 possible forced disappearances were reported.
There are many actions to take to help the Thai people no matter where you are based or what language you speak. One of these ways to help is to continue to speak up about what is occurring and to spread around information and links to sign petitions and donate to organizations dedicated to helping Thailand. Amnesty International Thailand currently has a petition on its website as well as a link to donate to them, they are focused primarily on the protection of human rights in Thailand. Similar organizations such as Thai Lawyers for Human Rights(TLHR), The Mirror Foundation, and Prachatai which provides a trusted source for current and reliable news.
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