Thai politics: Heavy-handed officials make student protests heroic

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Heavy-handed officials make student protests heroic
ATTAYUTH BOOTSRIPOOM

BANGKOK: -- THE ARREST and detention of 14 student activists, members of the Neo Democracy Movement (NDM), have had a heavy impact on the government. Earlier, the student group's moves seemed to have no political strength, but the legal action against them since then has drawn much public interest.

Some of the 14 detained students are from the Dao Din group of activists that has a long history of fighting along with rural villagers and underprivileged people. It is not that they stayed idle during the previous government's tenure and just wanted to cause a headache for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), as has been alleged by critics.

Dao Din has been active in the Northeast, working with villagers in Loei province to protest against a gold mine that caused environmental and health problems. Villagers who blamed the mine for their illnesses brought their case to the Administrative Court. The students also joined the protest against the mine, which resulted in them being physically assaulted.

In September 2013, villagers who opposed granting the gold-mine concession were barred by security officers from taking part in a local public hearing on the matter. An ensuing confrontation almost led to a clash between the villagers and the officers. A group of Dao Din students knelt on the ground in the rain to appeal to the officers not to clash with the villagers. That act of bravery won the student group much praise.

After the coup in May last year that brought the NCPO came to power, the military took care of the gold-mine case and set up four committees to help solve the issue.

However, the villagers disagreed with this and wanted the problem solved in a way they suggested. They wanted to take part in the decision-making because they were directly affected.

Later, the military summoned the villagers' leaders for "attitude adjustment", and their voices were muzzled. That led to successive protests by the student activists against the coup, which they said resulted in restriction of rights and liberties.

Admittedly, the students campaigned aggressively and sometimes seemed to provoke the powers-that-be. This certainly could upset those in power for being challenged in a disrespectful way.

The authorities opted to arrest the student activists, a move that led to a lot of unexpected consequences for them. First, this issue has attracted more attention. Many people have questioned whether the government used too much power in dealing with a group of students who simply expressed their opinions publicly.

Opposition against the way the government is dealing with this matter has grown, both in and outside the country. A group of scholars and activists called for unconditional release of the student activists, who are being held in remand after refusing to seek temporary release. Some groups of students and academics also made similar calls. They argued that the arrested students had just exercised their basic rights as citizens.

Politicians from the country's two largest political parties - Pheu Thai and Democrat - have commented in the same way, despite their normally conflicting views over different issues. Moreover some regional and international organisations also called for unconditional release of the students - the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the European Union and Human Rights Watch.

As the pressure is mounting against the government, an interesting question is how it will act in response.

There is no doubt the student activists being detained had prepared for a difficult situation in remand prison, as they opted not to seek bail.

It is the government that is facing more and more pressure as time goes by. That explains why there was a suggestion for the authorities to release the students before the first 12 days of their allowable period of detention is complete. During this time, many may ponder who is suffering more - the detained students or the people in power.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Heavy-handed-officials-make-student-protests-heroi-30263568.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-02

[thesetat2013]

If this Doa Din group has been active for so long then where were they when during the Thak and YL administrations? Why didn't they speak out against the YL gov for all those northern farmers who suffered huge losses from the rice scheme? Maybe they were a group back then as well but they choose only to go against people selectively. Certainly its clear they were on the side of the REDS.

[Somtamnication]

Exactly the opposite of what the govt wanted. They forget the student deaths in 1976. People haven't forgotten.

[Bannum opinions]

If this Doa Din group has been active for so long then where were they when during the Thak and YL administrations? Why didn't they speak out against the YL gov for all those northern farmers who suffered huge losses from the rice scheme? Maybe they were a group back then as well but they choose only to go against people selectively. Certainly its clear they were on the side of the REDS.

Perhaps the students are heroic without heavy-handed officials making them that way.

"......all those northern farmers who suffered huge losses from the rice scheme?"

At least that is what the self-serving Opposition would have you believe. And that innuendo would be true for those who accept Opposition noise as being gospel. For those who don't, it is an open question. A non-opposition sourced analysis would be helpful.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Bannum opinions

[oneday]

"...Heavy-handed officials make student protests heroic..."

...but the government doesn't seem understand this nor much of anything else.

[Orac]

There is also a personal angle to their treatment. They publicly demonstrated on stage in front of he who must be obeyed which to

someone with a massive ego, particularly in Thailand, is like a red rag to a bull.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Orac

[mmh8]

the Thailand situation will not improve. this may be the event from which the junta could have stepped back from the edge, but chose not to. none the less , as is the Asian way the cycle will continue, this may be the trigger for the next corrupt incompetants to take the ring .

these are some of the victims, there are many more to come, and many more we don't even hear about.

[Thailand]

The govt are running headlong in to big problems as more and more dissent from different quarters, particularly student bodies, who know how to use the social media to stir things up.

Hopefully it won't come to the same outcome of the previous major student / military clash. But based on their performance in dealing with such things so far it is not very hopeful.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Nobody needs to motivate or pay students to protest, its all been supplied by people that can't lead, don't understand the average Thai citizens and have little regard for the views of others.

I think BKK will have its next round of whistleblowers between October 2016 and January 2017.

[baboon]

"...Heavy-handed officials make student protests heroic..."

...but the government doesn't seem understand this nor much of anything else.

The problem is, they are incapable of understanding as far as I can tell. How can they understand when they see the world through the eyes of an unaccountable authority in a monoculture? This is why I find it astonishing that some westerners with a supposedly broader perspective on life are fawning over them on here...

[Benmart]

If this Doa Din group has been active for so long then where were they when during the Thak and YL administrations? Why didn't they speak out against the YL gov for all those northern farmers who suffered huge losses from the rice scheme? Maybe they were a group back then as well but they choose only to go against people selectively. Certainly its clear they were on the side of the REDS.

I generally don't ask "why" people do or don't do certain things. What is clear to this reader, is that I am not in control of the world and don't know anymore than anyone else on most subjects.

[candide]

That's the way the cookie crumbles.... Either they stand firm and generate more support for protesting students, or they let them go and there will be more protests.

Welcome to the real World!

[Mudcrab]

Like students all over the world they are left leaning/socialist/communist while they are young. But then most grow up and live in the real world.

[FangFerang]

According to the Nation and the BP last week "Officials refuse to accept brutality charges, even though cell phones verified brutal behavior on the part of the arresting officers" -- (paraphrased).

They are losing credibility very fast.

[dcpo]

Like students all over the world they are left leaning/socialist/communist while they are young. But then most grow up and live in the real world.

You don't have to be a pinko to oppose a military dictatorship. In fact, you have to be living in authoritarian fantasy land to apologize for one.

Hypothetically of course, as we all know that the current situation is absolutely not in any way a military dictatorship pleasedon'tarrestme.

[sweatalot]

seems to me like a master plan instrumenting the students to make the government look bad.

Who could be interested in making the government look bad?

I doubt it would be for ethical reasons.

I hope the government will stay strong and find out who is behind this show.

[candide]

seems to me like a master plan instrumenting the students to make the government look bad.

Who could be interested in making the government look bad?

I doubt it would be for ethical reasons.

I hope the government will stay strong and find out who is behind this show.

Who the hell could be interested in democracy? What a strange idea! In no way could happen without any kind of occult influence......