Thai students defy their government’s protest ban to stand with Hong Kongers

A group of Thai students defied Thailand's ruling junta's ban on public rallies and gathered in front of Chinese Embassy in Bangkok to show solidarity with the pro-democracy student protesters in Hong Kong.

The student protesters, who are reported to be anti-coup activists from the Thai Student Centre for Democracy (TSCD), staged their rally to put pressure on China to acquiesce to the pro-democracy protesters. 

Images of the protesters, who were gathered outside the consulate for less than an hour, are being shared widely across social media.

The students' actions were significant, occurring at a time when the ruling military junta has arrested and detained hundreds of pro-democracy activists, politicians and academics in a relentless attempt to silence any opposition voices. Since May’s coup, the military has cultivated an Orwellian culture of censorship and intimidation in which public demonstrations and political gatherings have been banned, preventing pro-democracy groups from taking to the streets.

There is a natural link between the Hong Kong protesters and their Thai allies. According to the Khasood English-language website, one of the students took a dig at the ruling junta, satirizing a ballad said to have been written by the controversial junta leader and now Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha: “China will do as promised. We are asking for a little more time, and the beautiful Hong Kong will return”.

Yet unlike their contemporaries occupying Hong Kong’s central business district, the Thai students have had some experience living under truly democratic rule, having grown up under the popular democratic rule of Thaksin Shinawatra, the first ever democratically elected leader in Thailand to complete a full term in office. (Thaksin was eventually ousted by a coup in 2006, though, and was convicted on plunder charges. He is living in exile to avoid detention.) The systematic attack on democracy and rule of law by the most recent coup, though, has given the Thai people first-hand experience with what it means to regress from democracy to autocracy. 

The Hong Kong protests will inevitably raise an important question about what is next for the people of Thailand. Could the protests staged by these courageous students galvanize a more vocal movement for democratic leadership of their own country?

This story by John Smith was originally published by our partner Global Voices Online, a community of bloggers from aroujnd the world.