Young Thais revolt against the monarchy and demand reforms
Audio 03:28
Protesters gather in front of Parliament to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister and reforms of the monarchy, September 24, 2020. REUTERS / Soe Zeya Tun
By: Heike Schmidt Follow
5 mins
In Thailand, a taboo has fallen: since this summer, tens of thousands of demonstrators have regularly marched in the street.
Massive mobilization also on social networks to demand a reform of the monarchy and the establishment of a true democracy.
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Unheard of, because the king enjoys divine status and the crime of lèse-majesté can lead to 15 years behind bars.
But today, the youth are no longer afraid, they are revolting against the wealthy king Maha Vajiralongkorn "Rama X" and deputies under the leadership of the army - their demands: the resignation of the government, the dissolution of the National Assembly and a new Constitution with the key to reform of the monarchy… and the return of billions of dollars from the king to the state coffers.
Without official leaders, very active on the networks, this movement is not unlike that of Hong Kong.
The explanations of the researcher Eugénie Mérieau, author of the book “Received ideas on Thailand”, published in 2018 by Cavalier Bleu editions.
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