When student-led protests broke out in February, they were sparked by the disbandment of a popular opposition party. The movement soon gained momentum, spurred onward by discontent among the younger generations with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has been in power since he staged a coup in 2014.
The protests were paused due to the coronavirus outbreak in March. They resumed again in July, with even larger turnouts. The sight of young people taking to the streets to demand PM Prayut’s resignation captivated the country and beyond.
But the demonstrations truly took a historic turn that shocked all when a 22-year-old student named Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, or Rung, stepped onto a stage at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus on Aug. 10. There, she read a 10-point manifesto that challenged the institution at the very top of Thailand’s social strata.
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul throws the scripts of her speech after reading the 10-point demands for monarchy reforms on the stage at the rally inside Thammasat University on Aug. 10, 2020. Image: Prachatai.
“We came up with the ten demands as a group,” fellow activist Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak recalled of that fateful night. “However, Panusaya volunteered to read it out on stage. I asked her, ‘Are you sure, since it’s very radical?’ and she insisted on doing so.”
Speaking onstage to loud cheers, Panusaya listed out demands to reform the monarchy, from bringing the crown assets under civilian control to abolishing the royal defamation law. Although the campaign faced stiff resistance from foes and allies alike at first, reforming the monarchy soon dominated the protests, eventually becoming one of their core demands.
Calls to reform the institution aren’t exactly new. As far back as 2010, historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul issued a similar manifesto that sought to democratize the royal institution, and protest leader Arnon Nampha in July said the movement should not stop at ousting the government. But it was Panusaya’s bold statement on that night in Thammasat that finally tipped the scales. Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Parit Chiwarak flash the “three finger salute” in front of a police station in Bangkok on July 8, 2020, to demand the end of emergency rule.
“The magnitude was way beyond our expectations,” Parit said. “Everyone is talking more openly about the monarchy. It has long been an issue in Thai society, but no one was talking about it since they were all afraid.”
He added, “We shattered that ceiling.”
A Controversial Figure
Frank discussions about the monarchy remain a taboo in Thailand. Panusaya’s bid to escalate the ongoing anti-government protests alarmed many allies who feared it would alienate large portions of Thai public. Opposition politicians, who had been supporting the protests until that point, sought to distance themselves from the budding movement.
Pro-establishment figures also seized on the turn of events to question whether the protest leadership had a hidden agenda to sabotage the Royal Family. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha himself called Panusaya’s speech inappropriate and said she has stepped “out of line.”
“I think she may not understand Thai society and its roots,” said Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of royalist Thai Phakdee Group – which was formed in response to Panusaya’s reform campaign. “What she’s doing is overthrowing the monarchy institution, and they are close to becoming communists.”
“This will fulfill the desire of those masterminding the protests from behind,” Warong continued.
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul negotiates with the police during a demonstration close to the Grand Palace on Sept. 20, 2020.
Apparently fearful of reprisals, Thammasat University issued a statement that its administration was not aware of what Panusaya planned to say onstage when it permitted her group to use the campus for the protest on Aug. 10.
Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist from Ubon Ratchathani University, agreed that the monarchy reform campaign is a double-edged sword for the protesters. On one hand, It provokes discussion among the new generation who “already have doubts” about the institution, but at the same time invites backlash from conservatives, he said.
“They [the calls for monarchy reform] undermine the legitimacy of the movement, but that’s normal in democratic society where different opinions exist,” Titipol said.
There were also legal consequences. Starting in late November, police slapped the reformists, Panusaya included, with a flurry of lese majeste charges– the very same offense that the activists sought to abolish.
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul greets her supporters upon her release from prison on Oct. 30, 2020.
Panusaya alone faces four counts of lese majeste. Each of them can land her in prison up to 15 years. But that does not seem to deter Panusaya from pursuing the campaign, despite the fact that she already spent 16 days in jail in October for her roles in organizing the anti-government protests.
“She was strong and brave enough to keep her own fears in check so those around her won’t tremble in fear,” her lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri said. “Even while she was imprisoned, Rung told me she wanted to see prison reforms and demand various rights for convicts.”
‘She is Very Ambitious’
The youngest of three daughters, Panusaya was born on Sept. 15, 1998, in Nonthaburi province, where she completed her high school education. She is currently enrolled in Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology.
In previous interviews with the media, Panusaya said she became involved in activism upon joining Thammasat University, and mentioned that her father supported her interest in political matters. Panusaya is also a member of Dome Revolution Party, a university group that seeks to instill a sense of political awakening among students, where she met Parit.
“She’s full of vigor. She always suggests her ideas whenever we discuss what to do next,” Parit said. “Outside of politics, she’s very kind. She always shares food with me and others whenever she goes out to buy something.”
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul submits her demands to reform the monarchy to the House Committee on Political Participation at the Parliament on Aug. 26, 2020.
In spite of her reputation as the face of the pro-democracy movement, Panusaya described herself as shy – a verdict shared by those close to her.
“In reality, Rung is a rather shy girl, gentle and nagging, befitting being the youngest daughter in the family,” Sirikan, who often met with Panusaya alone during her imprisonment, said.
“Her persona on the protest stage and role as a protest leader is not all who she is,” Sirikan went on. “When she takes off that hat, she’s just an ordinary girl, but special in the sense that she’s interested in politics and society.”
She is also a unique representation of women in what is traditionally regarded as the men’s stage. Panusaya is often the sole woman in news conferences held by the protest leaders. This is hardly exclusive to the pro-democracy causes, however, since most of the political movements in Thailand are mostly led by male politicians and activists.
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and other ativists report to the police to hear lese majeste charges lodged against them in Bangkok on Dec. 8, 2020.
Her gender role does not go unnoticed. Just last month, Panusaya was listed by the BBC as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2020.
“Having women like Panusaya makes more women, especially high school students, feel more comfortable joining the movement,” political science lecturer Titipol said. “It also improves the image of the movement and brings up gender issues, such as abortion rights and sex worker welfare, to wider public discussion.”
Panusaya and her fellow activists have yet to announce when the next protest will be held. But when they do, they will face their toughest challenge yet.
Top: A BBC Thai interview with Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and her sister.
The second wave of coronavirus pandemic has spread to at least 40 provinces, and the government said it would ban any gatherings in order to contain the outbreak. The police may also file yet more charges against Panusaya and her friends, bogging them down in endless legal complaints.
However, there is no sign that Panusaya will call it quits anytime soon.
“It has always been her ambition to fight for democracy and address the issue of monarchy. She’s very ambitious,” Parit said. “She believes it’s time to push her agenda forward.”
Since the People’s Party fomented a revolutionary transformation, the people have hoped that our country would be a democracy with the king as head of state who is truly above politics. But it has not been as such as the king has exercised power to intervene in politics from above. For example, whenever a coup topples a government that has arisen from a real democratic process, the king has signed to appoint the head of the junta. This constitutes the endorsement of each and every coup as legal.
Moreover, the king has moved troops and also transferred a significant amount of the national budget to belong to the himself personally. He has exercised extralegal royal authority to amend the constitution, which had already passed a referendum, to allow him to reside outside the kingdom without having to appoint a regent.
This could be done because the dictatorship government bowed down under the shadow of the king and continues to claim the monarchy for its own benefit. It can be seen that they mutually benefit. Such a situation constitutes an enemy to the principles of a democracy with the king as head of state. There is no democratic country in which such actions take place.
The people ought to know that the king of our country is not above politics. This has consistently been the root of political problems. He has neglected his duties of being the head of state that binds him to the hearts of the people and uses the people’s taxes to seek pleasure and reside outside the country. This takes place while the people are experiencing hardship from economic downturn. He also has close relationships with the rebels who foment coups to topple democratic rule.
It is therefore evident that if there are no adjustments made for the monarchy to co-exist with the institutions of the people, the people will necessarily lose faith in the monarchy.
The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration therefore makes the following demands in order to resolve the problems with the monarchy:
1. Revoke Article 6 of the 2017 Constitution that does not allow anyone to make any accusation against the king. And add an article to allow parliament to examine the wrongdoing of the king, as had been stipulated in the constitution promulgated by the People’s Party.
2. Revoke Article 112 of the Criminal Code, as well as allowing the people to exercise freedom of expression about the monarchy and giving an amnesty to all those prosecuted for criticizing the monarchy.
3. Revoke the Crown Property Act of 2018 and make a clear division between the assets of the king under the control of the Ministry of Finance and his personal assets.
4. Reduce the amount of the national budget allocated to the king to be in line with the economic conditions of the country.
5. Abolish the Royal Offices. Units with a clear duty, for example, the Royal Security Command, should be transferred and placed under other agencies. Unnecessary units, such as the Privy Council, should be disbanded.
6. Cease all giving and receiving of donations by royal charity funds in order for the all of the assets of the monarchy to be auditable.
7. Cease the exercise of royal prerogative over expression of political opinions in public.
8. Cease all public relations and education that excessively and one-sidedly glorify the monarchy.
9. Search for the facts about the murder of those who criticized or had some kind of relation with the monarchy.
10. The king must not endorse any further coups.
These demands are not a proposal to topple the monarchy. They are a good-faith proposal made for the monarchy to be able to continue to be esteemed by the people within a democracy.
Therefore, for the monarchy to be secure in the present-day world, it must not hold power related to politics. It should be able to be controlled, audited, and criticized and it should not be a burden on the people. Then it will be able to be held as the monarchy that is dignified in line with a universal meaning of democracy.
— TLHR / ศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชน (@TLHR2014) December 30, 2020
@hakamong ·47m Replying to @TLHR2014 In fascist Italy, the government reinforced traditional mores, oppressing individuals who did not conform, citizens were obliged to participate in ceremonies, parades. In nazi Germany books from universities were burned, teachers expelled. Just like in fascist Thailand today.
