Finally, a lightning rod for anger at misrule

By The Nation

 

 

But rather than punishing performers behind viral protest video, junta must now start listening 

 

With 20 million YouTube hits in the space of seven days, it’s the hottest rap single anywhere right now.

 

But more importantly, the response to “Prathet Ku Mee…” (“My Country’s Got…”) dispels any doubt over the frustration building in Thai society after more than four years of junta rule. The performers known as Rap Against Dictatorship have produced a lightning rod for growing anger, winning more than three quarters of a million “likes” in a week. 

 

The song’s lyrics plainly reflect a collective conscience and a national crisis. 

 

The response from thin-skinned Thai authorities was as quick as it was predictable. The 10 underground Thai rap artists could now face legal action over the video, the country’s top cop warned.

 

The video re-enacts an infamous scene from the Thammasat University massacre of October 6, 1976, of the corpse of a student protester being beaten as it hangs from a tree in Sanam Luang. The masked performers hit the “corpse” in time to the beat, cheered on by a crowd of young people.

 

It isn’t the first time that Thai artists have evoked this barbarous moment in our modern history. But used in the context of rap, with its straightforward lyrics, the music video is an irresistibly powerful denunciation of all that is wrong with Thailand. 

 

The team spent almost a year working on the tune and music video. The result is a searing attack on the hypocrisy of military dictatorship, and the deep political divide that saw killing on both sides.

 

The artists sought to reflect their view of a society numbed to dictatorship and trapped in its shadow. They should be applauded for expressing out loud the very things that are on so many people’s minds, lying unspoken for fear of penalties against free speech.

 

The police have threatened the rappers with “attitude adjustment” and legal charges for placing “false information” in cyberspace. 

 

Deputy National Police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said on Friday the Technology Crime Suppression Division would study the lyrics to see if they violated any junta orders.

 

Obviously, the principle of freedom of expression does not govern police work. Srivara cited the Computer Crime Act, among other laws, but as has become routine, exploited it in the name of security.

 

In a free and open society, protest songs do not attract police threats. But Thailand is not a normal country, since those who govern do not have legitimacy.

 

And when artists hold up a mirror to their faces, they don’t like what they see, reminded as they are of the bleak reality they have created.

Stoking public anger is that these same leaders are looking to return to power after the next election. 

 

They have rigged the system in order to do so, yet they know that it won’t be smooth sailing.

 

They can’t keep silencing the people, since there will always be those who dare to speak out against injustice.

 

The military never had a legitimate place in public office. But if they do choose to enter public life, perhaps they could start listening to the voices of others, be they artists or concerned citizens. 

 

Hiding behind the Computer Crime Act to stifle all dissent is just bad politics and will only lead the country back in the direction of tyranny, regardless of whether an election is held.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30357472

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-30

 

"...Stoking public anger is that these same leaders are looking to return to power after the next election. 

They have rigged the system in order to do so, yet they know that it won’t be smooth sailing.

They can’t keep silencing the people, since there will always be those who dare to speak out against injustice..."

 

These are fine words, Nation, and I am pleased to see them in your newspaper. I would have liked to see them four years ago, but that is the past.

 

However, I find your editorials and the content of your paper in conflict. If you truly believe that the Junta is bad for Thailand (and I really hope you do), then why do you continually publish endless sycophantic stories from the Junta? Why do you publish the (usually three) photos depicting Prayut in a good light? Why do you print the Junta's ludicrous statements that you (and any thinking person) know are merely propaganda nonsense from the Junta?

 

If you truly believe your own Editorials, then you need to walk the proverbial walk and not merely talk the empty talk.

 

What's it going to be, Nation?

 

You can't continue to have it both ways...

 

 

These brave and switched on kids are too popular to haul in just now. When they're not so firmly in the spotlight anymore they'll be lifted.

 

The junta and their henchmen are playing a long game. And right now they hold all the cards.

 

The youth need to keep the pressure on and show the dinosaurs in charge in a negative light through artistic and peaceful means.

Hoping the pressure doesn't relent

Nothing but a notion of passing fancy. 

Everyone needs to get in their 15 minute association, though, with mention and reference. 

 

Won't effect anything.

We'll have forgotten about the fanfare in a week or two. 

 

Falsehoods might apply.

The power of social media will not be silenced by anyone let alone a bunch of aged dinosaurs.Hopefully more of the same to come from the young generations.

Trying to silence so many voices is not going to work.

No doubt the junta and prayuth will still be in power after the rigged "elections" but the groundswell of discontent is continuing to grow.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The military never had a legitimate place in public office.

 

If thats so why does The Nation allow so much space and print so many articles from the current and past non-elected "illegitimate" governments? The military doesn't hold elections, has never offered the ordinary citizen a choice and even had to ban all criticism to pass a constitution but that has never been obvious by reading your daily accounts in print or online. Its always been my position that the military's opinion is no more important than that of the farmers, taxi drivers, dentists or pilots. Time for everyone to have a say.

I would like to read the text of the song.....i wonder what's so bad now under the junta, i don't see it.

Better late than never, tho four years is almost feels like never.  IF the media loves Thailand, they should have been far less tolerant of the coup and the following years of junta mania .   Wasted years.  Thailand uses to be such fun

27 minutes ago, Thian said:

I would like to read the text of the song.....i wonder what's so bad now under the junta, i don't see it.

Try watching it. The lyrics are there. And don't forget to give it a 'like'...

8 minutes ago, baboon said:

Try watching it. The lyrics are there. And don't forget to give it a 'like'...

I didn't watch it cause they will use the number of viewers to not getting arrested.

 

So those guys want the corruption back and thailand can get a few more us$-billionaires who spend that money abroad....maybe they hope that they'll be those ones themselves?

 

I'm happy with the junta, they only shouldn't buy submarines but invest it in hospitals or cleaning up soidogs or so....

5 minutes ago, Thian said:

I didn't watch it cause they will use the number of viewers to not getting arrested.

So you think it is fine for them to be arrested and prosecuted without even paying them the courtesy of hearing them out. No wonder you are a junta fanboi with an attitude like that...

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The response from thin-skinned Thai authorities was as quick as it was predictable. The 10 underground Thai rap artists could now face legal action over the video, the country’s top cop warned.

threats and intimidation is the only response that authoritarian military govt is capable of

Everyone has forgotten about the young man in Khoen Khean, still in jail for a like

20 minutes ago, baboon said:

So you think it is fine for them to be arrested and prosecuted without even paying them the courtesy of hearing them out. No wonder you are a junta fanboi with an attitude like that...

And you seem to be a corruptionlover who thinks it's great to put BKK on fire.....no respect for that attitide from me.

1 minute ago, Thian said:

And you seem to be a corruptionlover who thinks it's great to put BKK on fire.....no respect for that attitide from me.

Err, you do realise that corruption is alive and well under this junta? Or perhaps you truly do believe the watches were borrowed from a dead friend and the highest profile female in Southeast Asia simply vanished into the night like a puff of smoke?

They can protest all they want (and should be free to do so) but what is the point. The value of being in government is just too big with all the option for corruption. Too much money can be made. The junta did not plug those holes and neither will the PTP. So whoever gets in power will be rich again and they will fight over it and send their minions to die for it (not themselves.. Thaksin is a known runner and generals are too cowardly to do their own fighting).

 

Without a good alternative you can complain rap whatever you want but the cycle will go on forever. Anyone thinking that an election will clean up Thailand is crazy. It will just go on the way it was with all the internal problems it has. The only thing that will happen is always go after corrupt officials (army government whatever) and jail them and take their money away. Clean up corruption and by doing so heal the divide.

 

Only to add the corrupt PTP is at this moment just a lil bit less evil then the junta but part of the problem and will keep being part of the problem. New parties with non corrupt leaders are the only way to go (if possible)

 

The rap song has awoken Thailand a bit but offers no solutions. Not shocking as solutions are hard, and complaining is easy. But at least it addressed the problem.

It is sad that it takes a few young rappers to wake up the country -while the press has done nothing these last four years to show the real situation this country is in!

The tiering up of the constitution should have caused an outcry and so should have any other following anti democratic action by the junta who is trying to rigg the election before it even takes place and you stay silent???

Where was the Thai press these last for years?
Cowardly hiding behind their desks?
Giving these people who are systematically dismantling civil liberties and freedom of expression a voice when it should be first priority for them to constantly oppose and expose them.

Now that a few brave young people stood up to them they jump on the bandwagon?
Start doing your job you so called “journalists” you should have done what the rappers have done latest when some monkey through a banana at your colleagues !!





Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

1 hour ago, Thian said:

And you seem to be a corruptionlover who thinks it's great to put BKK on fire.....no respect for that attitide from me.

This guy is not from this planet and certainly un connected with the reality in this country.

You sir, are a stooge who is obviously deaf, dumb & blind.

Corruption is worse at every level, but ESPECIALLY at the very top, than it has ever been in the 18 years i've been coming here, and 15 years i've been living here.

The difference is, before there was a little eensy weensy bit of accountability, now there is a big fat ZERO.

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Err, you do realise that corruption is alive and well under this junta? Or perhaps you truly do believe the watches were borrowed from a dead friend and the highest profile female in Southeast Asia simply vanished into the night like a puff of smoke?

Mwehhhh watches, mwehhh mwehhh, how many more times i have to read that bs? Can't you think of anything better to yell?

 

I never hear you about the billionaires in us$ who were very corrupt....and what profile female are you babbling 'bout? That one from Korea?? Boy you seriously should come up with better examples....

 

I do blame the junta for not giving the Thai a real policeforce but that seems totally impossible...for the rest they do fine...They build loads of public transport, keep it all safe, and since they are in control there are no big corruption cases announced.

Those are some very, very heavy duty lyrics.  I like many others, am puzzled by the Thais willingness to accept the status quo. However, restraint should not be misinterpreted as  acceptance, as I have done.  They are oppressed, suppressed and distressed, but not accepting. Tens of millions of Thais are waiting and when they erupt, I believe that we will see  something that we will all dread.

 

17 minutes ago, Thian said:

and since they are in control there are no big corruption cases announced.

 

This guy is funny. Just stop it! I can't take any more.

Have you ever thought of a career change, ya know, like a stand up comedian? I think you'd do really well...

7 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

 

This guy is funny. Just stop it! I can't take any more.

Have you ever thought of a career change, ya know, like a stand up comedian? I think you'd do really well...

Have you ever learned to come up with arguments instead of spouting nonsense? I dare you, come up with anything better than the mwehhh mwehhh watches....

This article hits the nail on the head. 

Says it all, really.

2 hours ago, moe666 said:

Everyone has forgotten about the young man in Khoen Khean, still in jail for a like

Maybe, but even Thailand can't arrest and imprison 20m+ people - especially in Khon Kaen!

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Thailand uses to be such fun

immediately  this song popped into my head

 

 

5 hours ago, z42 said:

These brave and switched on kids are too popular to haul in just now. When they're not so firmly in the spotlight anymore they'll be lifted.

 

The junta and their henchmen are playing a long game. And right now they hold all the cards.

 

The youth need to keep the pressure on and show the dinosaurs in charge in a negative light through artistic and peaceful means.

Hoping the pressure doesn't relent

if only that were true

the junta have hauled off many , they are forgotten

these will be as easily forgotten until critical mass

and the wheel turns as bangkok will be held to ransom for new regime, followed by democracy and corruption followed by coup, followed by corruption and suppression

 

there is no answer 

what is needed is to teach people that religeon is not the answer, stop giving millions to temples and stuff to atone for your guilt

do something useful

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Everyone needs to get in their 15 minute association, though, with mention and reference.

Same was said about the Doi Suthep development protest.

1 hour ago, Thian said:

they are in control there are no big corruption cases announced

Isn't that traditional when a government that rules by absolute power with no check & balance, no transparency and accountability? You only see the corruption that the government wants you to see.

36 minutes ago, Thian said:

Have you ever learned to come up with arguments instead of spouting nonsense? I dare you, come up with anything better than the mwehhh mwehhh watches....

Rajabhakdi park?

Praudth's brother?

The disappearing plaque?

The microphone and curtains purchase for Government House?

The submarine purchase?

Doi Suthep?

But then there are none so blind as those who will not see, so I expect you to dismiss the above as well...

The rappers should do a follow-up song. Still many topics not covered on the incompetences of the junta including economics, education, UHC, inequality and poverty after serving a term longer than constitutionally allowed and longer than all previous elected governments.