The senator who wants to save the children

Fascism isn’t just an authoritarian system of government. It’s also a mentality that eats your mind and swallows your soul.

Senator Somchai Swangkarn is furious.

He calls it an “incitement,” a “brainwashing” method, and a “great danger.”

He calls on the prime minister, the education minister, and the police chief to intervene to protect children as young as five years old.

He asks them to consider these “vile” things as Article 116, sedition.

“These media materials mean to brainwash children to become Saam-geeb Zombies,” he said.

Saam-geeb means “three-hooves,” slang for the three-finger salute of the pro-democracy movement.

What exactly is the senator furious about?

The Facebook Page วาดหวังหนังสือ (Draw Hope Books) produces eight cartoons for sale. They are:
นิทานตัวไหน ตัวไม่มีหัว (Which Fable, One Without Head)
นิทานแค็ก แค็ก มังกรไฟ (Cough, Cough, Fiery Dragon)
นิทาน จ จิตร (C. Chit) Chit Phumisak, the activist, linguist, and historian executed by Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn’s regime on 5 May 1966
นิทานเสียงร้องของผองนก (The Call of Birds)
นิทานแม่หมิมไปไหน (Where Has Mommy Mhim Gone)
นิทานเป็ดน้อย (Little Duck) The yellow duck symbol of the pro-democracy movement
นิทานเด็กมีความฝัน (Children With Dreams)
นิทาน 10 ราษฎร (10 People) The young leaders of the Ratsadon Movement

Who else is also furious?

On social media, pro-government supporters show overwhelming support for Senator Somchai.

Some of the most popular comments we found include:

“Must reform the law urgently. This is too much freedom. We must be like China. Use Article 44.”
(Article 44 gave General Prayut Chan-o-cha authoritarian power during his dictatorship regime. The law has been scrapped.)

“This plan has been laid for over 30 years. Keep an eye on the charity of the leader of the Saam-geeb. They are certainly behind this.”
(The comment refers to Thanathorn Juangrungruangkit’s Progressive Movement Charity. He’s 42 and would have been 12 years old when he allegedly planned these “seditious cartoons.”)

“They use blue for the bad guys and red/orange for the good guys.”
(The comment refers to a color drawing of a street clash. Blue represents the King on the Thai flag. Red is Pheu Thai Party. Orange is Move Forward Party.)