Thailand: thousands of high school students in the streets for a reform of the school and the society

Some high school students were disguised as tyrannosaurs, in reference to the political dinosaurs they want to get rid of.

AP - Sakchai Lalit

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Thousands of high school students took to the streets of Bangkok on Saturday, November 21 to demand a reform of the school system and like their elders students, a reform of the monarchy.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Bangkok,

Carol Isoux

Stop wearing the compulsory uniform and short hair at school, abolishing the obligation to bow very low in front of teachers, redesigning programs, right to speak… Here are some of the specific reforms requested by the teachers. high school students, who form since the beginning of the student movement last summer a significant part of the number

of demonstrators 

who have taken to the streets regularly since the summer to demand a reform of the monarchy and the

departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha

.

On Saturday, after the lawsuits launched against two of their leaders who are still underage for their participation in protests, they gathered outside the Ministry of Education in Bangkok.

Many wore the uniform characteristic of Thai establishments.

While their comrades chanted slogans and songs into the microphone, some were disguised as dinosaurs, others as meteorites.

A metaphor according to them of this new generation of Thais who will do away with the old guard in power.

Within this high school movement, young girls occupy a prominent place.

Hardening

Prayut Chan-ocha toughened his voice on Friday, warning that " 

the government would enforce all laws

 ", even potentially the lese majesty which punishes defamation of the king with up to 15 years in prison and is no longer used in recent years.

“ 

The limits have now been crossed,

 ” he added.

On Wednesday, some 20,000 demonstrators had gathered in the capital while the day before, six people had been shot and wounded during clashes between demonstrators militant for more democracy, police forces and ultra-royalists.

An unprecedented escalation of violence since the start of the protest.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Thailand

  • Social issues

  • Youth

  • Prayut Chan-ocha

On the same subject

Thailand: Prime Minister does not resign, protest intensifies

Thailand: clashes between police and pro-democracy protesters in Bangkok

Thailand: three pro-democracy leaders hospitalized