Can a youth movement change Thailand's monarchy?
STORY: This was Chonthicha "Lookkate" Jangrew three years ago, seen by Reuters cameras confronting police during the unprecedented youth protests that rocked Thailand at the time, over the power of the country's military in politics and supremacy of the monarchy.
This is Lookkate now: 30 years old, facing a possible prison sentence for sedition and defaming the king, and one of over a dozen young activists from the movement who have become election candidates.
The three-fingered salute is a symbol of the 2020 protests derived from the Hunger Games movies. She's running for parliament with a political party called Move Forward.
One of the big topics on their platform: reducing the severity of the laws for insulting royalty.
"I truly believe that if you want change in this country to achieve a true democracy, both the street protests and legislative path need to move forward together with having a strong social movement and having independent bodies to scrutinize the work of the lawmakers."
"MPs are representatives of the people, we have to speak up about everything to protect their interest."
"I saw the determination of the Move Forward Party in trying to push for laws that protect, respect, and value human rights. I want to use my knowledge and skills in order to work with the party, including revoking any laws that takes away people's right of expression - or the law on torture and enforced disappearance."
The protests in 2020 started as opposition to the military's domination of politics after the coup that hit Thailand in 2014, and what protesters believe is an unhealthy power nexus with the monarchy that's justified military interventions against elected governments.
The military says it only intervenes in civilian politics when it has to, save the country from chaos, and it's ruled out involvement in the next election. The royal palace doesn't comment on politics.
Regardless, the protests broke taboos over discussion of the monarchy.
Progressive parties like Lookkate's aren't expected to win the upcoming election in May. And if she does win, she says the 28 criminal cases against her would end any time in parliament.
But she says she's hopeful that more young people in politics will usher in a fairer system. If mass protests happen again, she says, it will go much further than 2020.
相關影片推薦
- 1:42【直擊】余天孫子女終於回家了!樂樂緊抱余筱萍 拉著余祥銓捨不得放娛樂星聞120,382 次觀看・1 天前
- 2:16基隆區公所停車場遭控荒廢 廠商:翻新屬市府權限華視影音4,139 次觀看・22 小時前
- 1:41都更後變無家可歸! 住戶拿70萬怨:廁所都買不到東森新聞影音126,690 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:08粉絲抱怨IVE服裝張員瑛又獨自美麗 秋天甚至被說像工地主任:只差一頂安全帽娛樂星聞3,283 次觀看・1 天前
- 0:55月薪8萬!夜市大腸包小腸 徵店長2年請嘸人華視影音12,480 次觀看・6 小時前
- 2:53具俊曄個人秀小S衝上台性感熱舞 現場飆出BLACKPINK Jisoo夯曲嗨翻全場娛樂星聞3,570 次觀看・16 小時前
- 1:07王力宏難敵歲月摧殘顏值崩塌! 新造型網友不買單直呼:老態盡顯娛樂星聞9,936 次觀看・1 天前
- 2:02停紅燈遭後車撞亡 業務員上班遇死劫獨留妻兒TVBS新聞網影音7,545 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:45「刑事戰將」遭收押 同寢被告挑選背景單純|#鏡新聞鏡新聞2,672 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:37虎山巖金針花開了!假日估湧2萬人 聯外道塞爆華視影音14,859 次觀看・1 天前
熱門必看
- 13:05雪力神分析INF人!精彩到連唐老師都忘了講星座!?Ep.216-3唐綺陽談星室29,255 次觀看・5 天前
- 14:06到京都別只衝伏見稻荷神社 想變美、求戀愛運來這才內行Yahoo創作摩人21,632 次觀看・5 天前
- 11:30【淚之女婿】突變劇情被罵爆... 原來賢祐就是白血球?眼淚是海仁找回記憶關鍵?七大《女王》解析&主演幕後故事Ki笑人生24,384 次觀看・3 天前
- 8:05拿水沖香奈兒!?90萬小廢包沒人帶?! 2024精品新趨勢 永續環保最時尚!!Sherry袁曼軒4,625 次觀看・6 天前
- 7:40花200萬存0056後悔了?4年定期定額0050與0056投報大公開!SHIN LI22,328 次觀看・5 天前