Thai activists in Pinocchio masks call junta leader 'liar'

 

Pro-democracy activists wearing masks mock Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha as Pinocchio during a protest against junta at a university in Bangkok, Thailand, February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Panumas Sanguanwong

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hundreds of pro-democracy activists in Thailand wore cartoon masks portraying the country's junta leader with a long nose on Saturday, calling him a "liar" for delaying a general election promised this year.

 

The junta has promised and postponed elections several times since it came to power following a coup in 2014, with the latest date set for November. The military-appointed legislature changed the election law last month, signalling another delay to early 2019.

 

That sparked a series of anti-junta, pro-election protests that have gained momentum in recent weeks with gatherings taking place in several provinces across Thailand.

 

On Saturday, around 300 activists congregated at Bangkok's Thammasat University, wearing and distributing paper masks resembling Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to Pinocchio.

 

One of them, Sirawith Seritiwat, said the mask was called Yuth-nocchio - a reference to the infamous fictional character whose nose gets longer every time he lies.

 

"Enough with the lies. Time's up for dictatorship. It's the people's time now. We must vote this year," Sirawith told the crowd.

 

Activists also held up three fingers, which they said symbolised their demands in the slogan: "Elections must take place this year.

Down with dictatorship. Long live democracy."

 

Around 100 police officers were deployed at the university but they did not interfere with the event.

 

Officials have so far not commented on the latest spate of protests, but last week a spokesman for the junta said it was not concerned by the protests and would rely on the police to maintain peace and order.

 

Prayuth said earlier this week young activists should focus on their studies and "not think they have to change the country."

 

Protests are planned for every Saturday in March and May in Bangkok and other provinces, with a large gathering between May 19-22 to mark the four-year anniversary of the coup.

 

"We urge everyone in the country to come out and join us," said Rangsiman Rome, another activist in Bangkok.

 

"It's time to take back our future. Prayuth and Prawit must go," he added, referring to another junta leader Prawit Wongsuwan.

Watana Muangsook, a member of the Puea Thai party which has won every election in the last decade, also came to Saturday's gathering "to show support" to the activists.

 

"People have the right to demand elections," Wattana said.

 

The junta lodged a lawsuit last week against seven activists for inciting unrest and 43 protesters for illegal gathering after a protest last month at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok that also involved hundreds of activists.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-24

The strongest weapon against a military regime is laughter.

 

Unfortunately, a few hundred people protesting will not change the minds of the generals, so hopefully in the coming weeks, it is in the thousands. Until the middle class and office workers of Bangkok join in, they will not loose too much sleep.

 

What Thailand needs is a very charismatic hardworking and honest leader who is not aligned to either the reds or yellows. Thaksin was clever and hardworking but not honest. Abhisit was honest but no other attributes.

 

These young student leaders may  be the answer and one day in the future,  lead the nation out of the cycle of coups and constitution rewriting if the army and other elite institutions allow them to grow and develop instead of putting barriers.

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by saakura

21 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

cartoon masks portraying the country's junta leader with a long nose on Saturday, calling him a "liar" for delaying a general election promised this year.

innovative and novel; might have been more complete with fake expensive watches

27 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

On Saturday, around 300 activists congregated at Bangkok's Thammasat University,

believe the protests have reached critical mass both in therms of numbers and intensity and verbiage;

deemed so as there is no response from the junta

39 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thai activists in Pinocchio masks call junta leader 'liar'

 

39 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

the mask was called Yuth-nocchio

 

Be careful now, this might make Geppetto angry. Very very angry.

 

 

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by Darcula

36 minutes ago, saakura said:

Thaksin was clever and hardworking but not honest. Abhisit was honest but no other attributes.

 

Thanks saakura, I feel that sentence sums up those two very well.

58 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Prayuth said earlier this week young activists should focus on their studies and "not think they have to change the country."

Because of course nothing resonates with idealistic youngsters quite like sanctimonious homilies from hypocritical boring old farts...

Activists calling junta leader a liar !!!! Shock horror !!!!

What a terrible thing to say about the man leading the country.

He was already a lair before the coup - no coup he promised. 

LOL. Dangerous thing to do, but it is the sign of the times. Interesting times ahead......

Seems like the start of another bad week for our (unelected) "leader"..........

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Prayuth said earlier this week young activists should focus on their studies and "not think they have to change the country."

Isn't that diamond heart nonsense all about people changing the Country together?

 

2 hours ago, saakura said:

Unfortunately, a few hundred people protesting will not change the minds of the generals, so hopefully in the coming weeks, it is in the thousands. Until the middle class and office workers of Bangkok join in, they will not loose too much sleep.

 

What Thailand needs is a very charismatic hardworking and honest leader who is not aligned to either the reds or yellows. Thaksin was clever and hardworking but not honest. Abhisit was honest but no other attributes.

 

These young student leaders may  be the answer and one day in the future,  lead the nation out of the cycle of coups and constitution rewriting if the army and other elite institutions allow them to grow and develop instead of putting barriers.

Well they thought the students revolts of old would cure Thailands ill's,  but to do that U need to nullify the Millitary, no deals like the last time Generals ran and still do now the government departments, in a deal to save face, they need to  put the military out to pasture once and for all. 

There are varying forms of lies. The question is do they all apply?

- The bold-faced lie is one of them and there have been a few of those in recent times.

 

- Then there is the broken promises lie which are out there is a great abundance.

 

- Also there is lying by exaggeration and those lies usually come in the form of bragging about what a wonderful job the government is doing for the people, the country and the economy.

 

- Then we have the lies of deception where for example there is a covering up for the failings of others including friends.

 

-  White lies can be in the mix also but they do little harm and only help to destroy credibility.

 

- Finally there is compulsive lying and people have to be the judge of that.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by Cadbury

Is that a nose or an erection?

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Around 100 police officers were deployed at the university but they did not interfere with the event.

Speaks volumes.

2 minutes ago, nausea said:

Speaks volumes.

'We'll pick them off individually once they are out of the spotlight...'

Be interesting to see what happens next. I don't think mocking uncle Prayuth will go down well. It would be easy for him to pick up the phone, and sort these rebellers quite easily. 

My Grandma said "They shouldn't say bad things as it can cause confusion and misunderstanding"

 

Oh, hang on that wasn't my dear old granny, that was um oh someone.

I wonder what NGO gave them the masks?  Really, how ingrained in the minds of the average Thai is the story of Pinocchio?  That's not quite a Thai cultural folk tale.

Chances are that, if Yuth-nocchio heard that there was a bigger liar than himself, he'd have him/her executed . . . he's like that and, on the lying front, he knows that it's his 'creative imagination' that keeps the serious news media off his ass with each idiotic episode that emanates from the Thai-Khu-Fah part of Government House . . . you gotta be careful how you spell that, although Thai-<deleted>-ah does sound perfect as Prayuth's play pen. He did promise that there would be proper press briefings on Thursdays. That was three weeks ago and he hasn't dared face the questions yet. Not another lie, surely. This Thursday, maybe . . . I'm not holding my breath.

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by Ossy
correction

50 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

Oh, hang on that wasn't my dear old granny, that was um oh someone.

I think the name you're looking for is Gobshyte . . . right?

Arrest Warrant will be out for Pinocchio far faster than for any other known 'wanted' scumbag that hides behind his wealth.

 

Just watch; Article 44 will be used to ban all types of Face Masks from now on and thousands of Soldiers will be deployed to seek out Masks everywhere !

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by trainman34014

2 hours ago, coulson said:

Prayuth said earlier this week young activists should focus on their studies and "not think they have to change the country."

What a fine message that is from a counties PM.

My most sincere apologies, I thought this was another Prawit thread

Prayuth says the students should 'not think they have to change the country'. That's right: 'follow me, boys' (says Prayuth), 'back, back, back into the dark Middle Ages of ignorance, kowtowing, obedience and unquestioning servitude. That is the way it should be. Don't dare to try and  change things!'

44 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Arrest Warrant will be out for Pinocchio far faster than for any other known 'wanted' scumbag that hides behind his wealth.

 

Just watch; Article 44 will be used to ban all types of Face Masks from now on and thousands of Soldiers will be deployed to seek out Masks everywhere !

This is going to spoil his Sunday. The fact alone that it made Reuters World News will certainly set him on fire. Anyone around him will be cringing as they feel the flames from his hot breath. Love to be a fly on the wall. Here's the link.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-politics/thai-activists-in-pinocchio-masks-call-junta-leader-liar-idUSKCN1G80QU

 

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by Cadbury

Perhaps they are soooo fed up with the TV Programme on Saturdays...? These people deserve it to be punished, because it's an insult to the figure our kids love so much. 

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by jenny2017

2 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

This is going to spoil his Sunday. The fact alone that it made Reuters World News will certainly set him on fire. Anyone around him will be cringing as they feel the flames from his hot breath. Love to be a fly on the wall.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-politics/thai-activists-in-pinocchio-masks-call-junta-leader-liar-idUSKCN1G80QU

 

These demonstrators are really, really brave - I admire them; such guts. By contrast, what a bunch of frightened little bully-boy cowards the junta are, hiding behind their wall of bullets, bombs, tanks and guns and controlling every single agency and state body in the land. 

 

So we have a clear divide between courageous people risking their liberty for the sake of a meaningful, fair future for themselves and the mass of the Thai people - and a gang of miserable, wretched and ugly political misfits and autocrats who are terrified even by the sight of one person sitting in a shopping mall and reading George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

 

I know which side I would be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with if I were a Thai ...