Activist disrupts NACC conference with ‘Animal Farm’ reference

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

Solo pro-democracy activist Ake Auttagorn showed up unexpectedly in the middle of the press conference on the junta leader’s watch scandal at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) office on Wednesday, and gave a picture of a fictional dictator to the agency’s secretary-general.

 

Ake was the activist who in 2013 held up the banner saying “respect my vote”, protesting against Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva during the political upheaval that led to the coup.

 

The picture presented to NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon was of Napoleon the pig from George Orwell’s famous political allegory “Animal Farm”. There was also an image of “three wise monkeys” wearing diamond rings and watches.

 

At the time, Worawit was briefing the media on progress in the investigation on the origin of the luxury timepieces worn by Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan.

 

Ake, who emerged out of nowhere and said he had a gift for the NACC official, was quickly removed from the press conference room.

 

In the novella “Animal Farm”, Napoleon is a leader in the movement to overthrow the human ruler of the farm. He promises to make all animals equal and says he will never be like the oppressive men. But, after a while in power, Napoleon adopts human mannerisms and becomes “more equal” than the other animals.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30337067

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-1-24

 A man with weapons grade balls. Bravo mate, just remember you are less equal than your target recipients.. 

Referencing socialist novelists! The junta's danger radar will be bleeping at maximum. There is nothing more dangerous for unelected military heads of state than educated ideologists. They can't be bought off. They can be imprisoned though. Sadly that will be coming soon for Ake Auttagorn.

13 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

There was also an image of “three wise monkeys” wearing diamond rings and watches.

really ?? that is just too pure and timely

Uh oh. I guess I'm not going to get away with AF as a set text for my G12 class again next year.

10 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Referencing socialist novelists! The junta's danger radar will be bleeping at maximum. There is nothing more dangerous for unelected military heads of state than educated ideologists. They can't be bought off. They can be imprisoned though. Sadly that will be coming soon for Ake Auttagorn.

and sadly, i must agree with your closing statement; we westerners expect far far  more positives than thai governance can deliver

Rare courage for sure.

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Rare courage for sure.

Perhaps not quite so rare. Daily stories now in the press about brave Thais protesting peacefully. Will the trickle become a flood?

Love George Orwell, amazing how he's still so relevant.

Good on him. Imagine if they had 100 who’d do the same. Would make a massive impact. 

Everybody is equal,its just some are more equal.

regards worgeordie

As the days go by more people seem to be becoming braver and at last questioning this despicable junta and their practices, long may it continue. 

3 hours ago, nausea said:

Love George Orwell, amazing how he's still so relevant.

However I bet he would wish he was not, were he here today to comment. Alas we have failed him.

5 hours ago, Slip said:

Uh oh. I guess I'm not going to get away with AF as a set text for my G12 class again next year.

Oh, I think you should be ok, so long as you tell the head that it is a text that is all about British agriculture , rural life and cute animals that talk, something like 'Babe' for older teenagers, and s/he'll be fine with it I'm sure.  Just don't bring out 1984, though, as I think that is officially banned from being read in public, or at least it was post-2014 coup, when people were doing Hunger Games three finger salutes while reading from 1984 in central Bangkok. That seemed to get the junta jumpy, for some unknown reason.  

10 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Everybody is equal,its just some are more equal.

regards worgeordie

Exactly Worgeordie, as was written before and still relevant today.......

  

25 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Exactly Worgeordie, as was written before and still relevant today.......

  

 

Someone, Oxfam I think, just released figures saying 82% of the wealth generated last year went to 1% of the population. Still very relevant today.

Four wheels good; two wheels bad - also from Animal Farm (well nearly.)

15 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Everybody is equal,its just some are more equal.

regards worgeordie

 

Or, as George Orwell put it "some are more equal than others" As was stated in the Nations original news story ! LOL

 

Strange that they do actually look so pig like, especially the watch man.

Porcine. Resembling Pigs. How succinctly apt.

Ake is a very brave man.

History repeats and repeats. Look what happened over in Cambodia - intellectuals were shot by the Khmer Rouge.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

 

Don't take a copy of Animal Farm to China or a photo of the Dalai Lama.