Antigovernment protesters led by students are attracting different sectors of thai society their main demand is a change of the entire political system that includes the resignation of former army general now Prime Minister. One of the largest protests since the militarist seized power in the latest school 6 years ago was held on sunday as well as changes to the constitution and to the intimidation of political activists some are calling for what has long been unthinkable reform of the monarchy and the quick this is of the royal family is an offense that can lead to a long prison sentence our reporter scott tyler reports from a student roddy held on tuesday. A new generation of protesters was born on University Campuses and high schools right across thailand here they are out here because they dont believe this current government represents their needs and their future no weve seen a string of peaceful protests over the last month on sunday at democracy monument here in central bangkok there are over 10000 people again led by student groups but there are a lot of other people who also join them now this is something that has been growing again peacefully for the last several weeks again the main message to students are saying is they dont believe that the government represents them and you know progress aside for student are just like a punch. Bowl right. So i think that fans that like we stand to be oppressed any more we can be under every team that does not care for. Me on the amount as it was i think there are any qualities in thai society we cant live like this and why we should take a stand for ourselves for a generation and the next generation the students gathering here in my head on universe you know the overall student led movement has some demands they are looking for a change in the constitution a rewriting of the constitution was drafted by the military government they want a new government they want new elections and also they are proposing an overhaul of the monarchy thats a very dangerous territory here in thailand the monarchy is something that is very revered by most of the population here this is a step that this movement has taken that hasnt been seen in a very long time so its dangerous territory and warnings from the government but they say if theres not reform in the government and work on a new constitution again theyre going to get a lot of people out to the streets by the end of september. Lets meet in bangkok. A political reporter and columnist for the call so the english news website in congo. Ne silent david strike 1st time historian and author of truth on trial in thailand defamation trees and lees majesty also in the capital jade dunn of a nick dean of the graduate school of Law University and former advisor to the Constitution Drafting Committee in thailand a warm welcome to your private how to best define the protest movement which is now gaining momentum in in thailand or are they and whats their agenda well basically they are a new generation of young tyreese really new are talking about people aged between say mostly 15 to 2223 they grew up and the military. See thailand had a literally coup back in may 2014 so these people came of age under the military and now although we had in an election but you know end up having the same person as Prime Minister which is general for your general shah the students this used really want change a different more Free Democratic and equal thailand so they made demands some less controversial like they wanted a fresh general election in drafting of a new constitution which is not sponsored as a test in case you know from the case of the current one but as well as a reform proposal 10 point reform proposals for the time on a key institutions in order to have an institution a monarchy which is more strictly in line with what we see in the United Kingdom or in australia where people could debate freely. About. David is it fair to say that these op the people who are basically anti establishment or are they mainly until the military oprah sized lee anti monarchy i think theyre there and take him into ever sense as one to came into power theres always been a question of legitimacy and the 2016 referendum on the new constitution was not held fairly and then they produce the 2017 constitution and so whatever might get in the way creating a more democracy democratic thailand. Or provide some sort of challenge is. One of their targets primarily the military junta but because of the long history of the relationship between the junta and the monarchy the monarchy also has come come under scrutiny jade is it safe to say that these are young people who are trying to build momentum across all the sections of society or do you see them more of an isolated crime against the establishment. I dont think they are they are trying to isolate the establishment and and in that way of me would mark see that to you im calling for that if if they are tacking on to be the establishment as to time or the one that becomes a and elected government by way of having a constitution which we also said that means and that fair drafting of the constitution then its 44 sponsored by the i dont tab at what a. B. C. Is saying that the they are trying to look for. Some sort of reform for the establishment as a whole and when they are looking beyond establishing there since we are democracy with kingscote state of the king beyond. The can be honest out which came to the king so i dont think they are they are separating. The 2 from each other province youve mentioned many issues which have been debated currently in thailand but i think the less majesty law has shaped the National Debate in thailand particularly among those young protesters who want the law to be scrapped do you see that potential being fulfilled in the near future it would be difficult but look the last majestic law if anything has restricted it carries a possibility for an open debate as we speak the mainstream mass media. I have huge sense of them so so the 10 demands are actually spreading through source whole media rather than through the mainstream mass media we need to have a real deliberation of talk but the law is making it impossible and never the last but the young good old demonstratives have really used social media to bypass the selfcensorship of the mainstream mass media and i think the debate will drag on and it will continue but it wont be easy to say it is to see this law abolish or even amend it although its kind of that the man ok but i think that then let me Say Something here Good Good Good way when we are talking about less majestic i think we have to to make a separation between 3 issues i dont think there is anything like that suggested i think the reporter being the journalist or anyone who are pointing their finger towards the other section 112 of the penal code is just calling in this majestic whereas there is no less majestic anymore even if it is here it is defamation of the king. It is. It is other things that is in line with the sort of defamation however its neat that the offense against its majesty the king and imprisonment which is higher and the other defamation so 1st of all when we call it less majestic theres no such thing the 2nd thing is that the law itself is to protect the head of state and i sure if any country gets a law to protect the head of state so in this they can point is to be use of the the law utilize station of the law or its the law itself and turned in yes the 10 proposals. It may seem to be reasonable but the preamble to it if its only the 10 issues that were proposed i think that can be accepted even in the Mainstream Media when i think about the staving im so happy about the preamble i have to have him at the preamble i have to step in here and out to david because i think there are many people who was completely disagree with you about the fact that lees majesty law is and you can just look at the people who have been sent to prison just for us expressing criticism or for they. All the best thing about this point monarchical system and this is why im asking david this question is this well you know is this an attack by the people who say we need the the monarchy itself to reinvent itself or to reform the lives majesty law or whatever you want to call it defamation of. The king queen heir apparent or region serves as a linchpin to hold together an ideological edifice that the military has used. For decades and especially since 2006. To suppress any sort of discussion whether its about the personal life of the king or whether its questioning whether. The royal budget should be open to seclude me whether the financial position of the king should be under debate and so its its in a way in a way. John here is correct because its more than a less majeste its been used as a tool to suppress any sort of opposition what happened lately though is that the new king ordered the attorney general not to pursue any new cases and so for a while until couple weeks ago it hadnt been invoked i mean there were other laws that that could silence critics. And that in fact that happened that was happening in june the Prime Minister reiterated what the king had said and that opened ringback the door it seemed to a larger d critique of the monarchy and its role within thai society profit is it is the erratic behavior of the monarch his long absence is it is it or is it the fact that that is a growing momentum in the country saying its about time to stiffen the military establishment from using the law itself to further clamp down on discontent. You know what the irony being that i can you going on the questions you ask if you are risking of breaking the law and you know what this program as i understand is life probably is not being carried. You know by the Cable Television network its being censored over the past week we have seen ill just hear on a few odd channels being censored are lawfully here in thailand so im not at liberty to to you know give you a straight answer but let me just put it this way sure please a lot of questions there are a lot of questions about the Monarchy Institution that cannot be answered that cannot be publicly debated without the risk of ones ok. You know freedom and thats thats a problem with her enough so let me put it this way do you think that some of the criticism is of the terms by the young protesters to say to the Ministry Establishment stop using the low to clamp down on dissent yes and thats just part of it they want a 3 year more equal society where you know talking about anything under the sun as long as you dont defame someone in this case the king should be permissible and should be a basic rights like in the United Kingdom people debate whether they should have the monarchy after Queen Elizabeth the 2nd is gone or not like australia where they talk about the same thing should the queen be the head of state or should that be a monarchy as the head of state of australia after Queen Elizabeth the 2nd is gone we cant even do that in thailand and actually what the students and the use are calling a very mild they want a monarchy which is strictly up which strictly operates under the type constitution. Jay now could vicious debate be conducive to breathe will changes like in the constitution or could it pave the way for the Ministry Establishment that has been entrenched in the country over the last decades to play more of a restricted role in the country i think is debatable especially when you see when i point being that 3 issues out i think ok the law itself is one thats one thing. The 2nd thing is the big you i dont i pretty much agree that many times the military or any establishment. Had been using our section 112 as well as a section 116 of the penal code in pretty much the wrong way that i can agree with however in the 3rd point if you are attacking the establishment and you want to stop that and change or you want the military to to be in line with the constitution and to see what actually his majesty our current king was saying that do not do section 112 with people ok but you have to accept that even for commoners even for 8 other people on the walk of lights if someone is defaming such person in starting such a person feeling such a person its also wrong under the law i think we have to accept this if we accept this and you feel that section 112 is all seem to find an offense too high and imprisonment on people for example up to 7 years is too much how many years be a thing should be compared with. Ordinary commuting ordinary definition up to 2 years you think up to 3 years after 4 years if someone is doing that to get upstate its the king is that enough then if were talking about the law and in that sense we can accept it then on the 2nd prong is that it has been used wrong if we want to make this right i think i think this is doable and this can be talked about the last issue i want to point out is that ever since 932. 00. Big teaching to run on the 7th is also at tack by the military you cant forget that the movement in 1932 consisting of the civilian and the military so i think his majesty the King James Brown by the 7th as well as the 8 the 9th also had some problems as well with the military and every time that the military staged a coup its not only against the government its against the people and also against the king oh i think in wake of new democracy you also have to look at the king as part of being victimized and then you will see the picture who is actually to be reform is it a monarchy or is it the military lets go to david david dot. Having listened to all of you dont you think that the prodemocracy movement or the protests because the the issue that could backfire given the fact that the society itself is very religious they consider the king to be sacred and for them to move forward or to debate of ask for reform of the monarchy could backfire well i think the in thrall meant. That surrounded the monarchy has largely broken away a process that didnt start yesterday or earlier this year but started maybe 2006200720 extension 08 since that time theres been more criticism its been in the semi public sphere of social media and not in such a such a big way as in front of a protest at thomas a university where it happened the other day but theyre there right now everyone is forced to show. To show love to the busy to the to the monarchy and that the that it has to be forced and that you can go to jail for 15 years for each count against the minority not against his personal person but even just questioning the system itself. Makes it very hard to to to know just how many people d are still under the interim it ok lets say theres millions but theres millions others who werent and they are suffering under a persistent and sometimes radical authoritarianism. And they too need to be able to be part of that discussion ok private do you think that a change would be possible in the near future without the bureaucracy the Business Community the have historically been aligned with the status quo it will be death cult these students do use will have to condense the law. You know. I add a sect has to join and the time has come and i think they need to adults should listen to use very carefully. Today as iranians they dont want to leave in a climate of fear just to add to what david just said just recently about less than 2 months ago a man who kept on wearing a t. Shirt saying he has lost faith in the monarchy has been taken into catterick hospital for week i think about that and what that reminds you the young dont want to leave in this climate of fear what it comes sooner or later i dont know but i could see a change in the attitudes of this young generation that i dont think theres any going back or right jade whats next for the military junta if the until this moment momentum until home to mentum is gaining ground in the country what i think i think in the last point probably gets worse david has been making its a point that the natural point that there has to be change to the way in which could be a tyranny if its trying to control the country. And i think this will be the benefit as well as the Positive Side of this movement by the cukes that if they are attacked on the right problem that the military is doing all these things to the country not put them all benefit of the country and not even for the benefit of the monarch so i think if this is the point we will come to the same ground that we can talk about section one pilots or whatever you call the defamation insulting feeling of the king or anything less than just it has been jews wrongly now who have to come to the time during which people can talk things like probably it was presented if it is talked about or if it is presented in a polite way in which the culture like type culture and this you of course can compare with the United Kingdom somehow but. You have to much of the culture the history ok of thailand i get there ok and this can be made and this can be taught all right and this is going to be my last question to david david this is a country whose history has been marked by violence been achieved coups and constant attempts by the mystery hunter to further consider dates its grip on power now when you look at the future you see the irony here which is a youth which sees the establishment as an acrostic with the future of the same time the establishment horsepower do you see the potential for a consensus the potential for a political debate i think it depends on the strength of the Students Movement and their ability to engage or bring out. A faction within the bangkok eally that will port having that dialogue on bowen will be theyll be they will be accused of being treasonous or be accused of being aired a minority theyll be accused of this and that were as their their real goal is what what kind of discussion needs to take. Take place in order for time to be more democratic and that cant happen under the present circumstances or even under the current constitution it doesnt allow for that kind of discussion that thailand has long long long awaited for and so its possible its possible that well have majeste may laws may stay in place its in every minority separate. So but but that there could be conditions on how its restricted and how it cant be used by other parties to suppress gelett it says but but the other things that theyre talking about has to do with like treating the monarchy as a Public Institution thank you that is open to scrutiny thank you thank you well have to live with the david strike for us private it was an opera and jay to know that it really it was a pleasure listening to your insights and thank you for what so you can see the program again and its time by visiting our website www dot com for further discussion go to our Facebook Page thats facebook dot com forward slash a. J. Inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter our 100 is a. J. Inside story from me and the whole team here in doha life or not. They come in. Search of a way to provide a better life for the families theyve left behind. But the labor is vital to release food industry. They risk exploitation by corporations and. Trapped in a system with little hope of escape people empower investigate least 6 links on aljazeera. In 2008. Just their undocumented a groundbreaking skee. Preparing some of indias poorest children for entry into its toughest universities d. We returned to see other students and the scheme helping change the face of india. Soup Authority Announces era. The health of humanity is at stake a Global Pandemic requires a global response. W. H. O. Is the guardian of Global Health delivering lifesaving tools supplies and training to help the worlds most Vulnerable People uniting across borders to speed up the development of test treatments and a vaccine keeping you up to date with whats happening on the ground in the ward and in the lab now more than ever the world needs w. H. O. Making a healthier world for you. To everyone. There is no channel that Conference World News likely to revisit places. And says there are really invests in that and thats a privilege as a journalist. Military leaders in mali say theyll prepare for new elections after forcing president Ibrahim Boubacar kater out of power. Hello im adrian for the given this is a live from go also coming up. There all this 9 elections where neither fair nor transparent
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