Thisrupt
  • Home
  • Current Affairs
  • Society
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Thisrupt Special
    • Thisrupt History
    • Thisruptor
  • VDO
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Current Affairs
  • Society
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Thisrupt Special
    • Thisrupt History
    • Thisruptor
  • VDO
No Result
View All Result
Thisrupt
No Result
View All Result

Young people fight for democracy. How about us?

Voranai VanijakabyVoranai Vanijaka
August 10, 2020
in Society
Young people fight for democracy. How about us?
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LINEShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

The students and young people are fighting for the rights, liberty, and equality of every person in Thailand. They need our support. 

Hence, the hashtag #เยาวชนปลดแอก (youth for independence, or free youth) has become #ประชาชนปลดเเอก (people for independence, or free people). Therefore, young people are appealing to the nation, #ถ้าไม่สู้ก็อยู่อย่างทาส (fight, or live as slaves). After 88 years of democratic struggles, they want coups, dictatorship, and military rule to #ให้มันจบที่รุ่นเรา (end with our generation). 

There are those of us who want coups, dictatorship, and military rule. We who accept the 250 junta-appointed senators because our hatred of Thaksin Shinawatra is too deep, and our fear of Thanatorn Juangroongruangkit is too strong. We mistakenly think democracy is a person or a political faction.  

For many of us, hatred and fear form our political stance; the casualty is the good governance of democracy. 

But what about everyone else? 

At these protests, the faces of young people are all around. As well, the faces of the older generation are everywhere; the uncles and aunties who come out to support the younger generation. Very few and exceptionally far in between, however, are the people of my generation. 

Where are the Generation X? 

Specifically, the urban middle and upper class. 

We came of age during the 1980s and 1990s, the time of economic growth. Our mission was career and wealth. We faced the disappointment of the 1997 Economic Crisis, but we pulled through and made our career and wealth. 

Through the past 15 years, many of us first donned the yellow shirts and then blew the whistles. 

Some of us genuinely wanted the traditional rule of military power over the people, believing that this is the only way to safeguard the monarchy and protect Thailand against the “forces of evil” and the “conspiracy of nation-haters.” 

Some of us sincerely fought against corruption and dirty politics, but inadvertently welcome coups and dictatorships instead. Most of us did nothing, and still are doing nothing. 

Regardless of the action or inaction, we ended up handing to the next generation an undemocratic constitution and military rule, whether directly or in poor disguise. We give our sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews, the continuation of corruption, double-standard, and dirty politics. 

Today, there are many of us, looking on, observing, and believing in the cause of young people. 

But we are too afraid. 

We are afraid to put our faces and names out there. Why? 

It is because we have worked hard for our career and wealth. Simply put: we don’t want to jeopardize our lifestyle. We don’t want to stand up for rights, liberty, and equality because, in doing so, it might undermine our career and wealth. 

It’s time to do more. 

The first step in doing more is letting our voices be heard. Put our name and face out there to demonstrate that we are willing to fight for the future of the country that we love. Show that the future of our sons and daughters is most important to us. 

We are not siding with Thaksin or Thanatorn, Pheu Thai, or Move Forward. Forget all of them. Neither democracy nor the future of a nation relies on any single individual or political faction.  

We must side with fairness and justice. 

We must fight for democracy and make good governance the foundation of the Thai nation. 

There will always be corruptors and those who abuse power, but if the system, at least on paper, is fair and just, then the young generation has a fighting chance to make our country better than what we have been able to do. 

But with an unfair and unjust system, which is the current constitution, Thailand doesn’t have a chance. Our country will continue to be as it is, a brothel for petty tyrants, whether in suit or uniform. 

Here’s the first step. Say it together: the 250 junta-appointed senators must go. 

Voranai Vanijaka

Voranai Vanijaka

Voranai Vanijaka is a political and social commentator. He’s the recipient of the 2010 Ayumongkol Sonakul Award for his Sunday column, previously in the Bangkok Post Newspaper. He teaches Political Communication and Global Media Industries at Thammasart University and Public Speaking at Webster University. He’s been published in Australia’s Griffith Review, appeared on BBC and ABC, and is a speaker at various forums around the region. He founded Thisrupt.

Related Posts

Skin Deep: the discrimination of ethnic minorities in Thailand
Business

Skin Deep: the discrimination of dark skin color in Thailand

September 16, 2020
The man who sat during the royal anthem
Business

The man who sat during the royal anthem

September 15, 2020
The People of Isan: Thailand's second class citizens
Business

The People of Isan: Thailand’s second class citizens

September 9, 2020
Next Post
Power to the People: Anon & Panupong

Power to the People: Anon & Panupong

Happy Birthday: For those who 'don't know' Prawit Wongsuwan

Happy Birthday: For those who 'don't know' Prawit Wongsuwan

Cosmetics for Kids: it’s not just a niche market

Cosmetics for Kids: it’s not just a niche market

Follow Thisrupt

  • 37.6k Fans
  • 18.8k Followers
  • 1.2k Followers
  • 1.4k Subscribers

Highlights

Why Thailand struggles in an identity crisis?

Is Thaksin Shinawatra a champion of human rights?

Why many Thais rejoice at the storming of Capitol Hill

Why Thai police should not enforce the sharia law

Why Winston Churchill should provide free COVID-19 testing for everyone

3 things you should know about Thisrupt in 2021.

Trending

Where is your humanity
VDO

Where is our humanity?

byVoranai Vanijaka
February 18, 2021
0

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, a king or a beggar, the one thing we...

The Government versus the Opposition: the knockout punch

The Government versus the Opposition: the knockout punch

January 28, 2021
The psychology of why we crawl

The psychology of why we crawl

January 18, 2021
Why Thailand struggles in an identity crisis?

Why Thailand struggles in an identity crisis?

January 14, 2021
Is Thaksin Shinawatra a champion of human rights?

Is Thaksin Shinawatra a champion of human rights?

January 13, 2021
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

@Thisruptdotco

Tweets by @Thisruptdotco

Multimedia content platform creating provocative stories to inspire people to stand up and speak out for rights, liberty and equality.


#CheckThePower

Newsletter

© 2020 Thisrupt | Contact

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Current Affairs
  • Society
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Thisrupt Special
    • Thisrupt History
    • Thisruptor
  • VDO

© 2020 Thisrupt | Contact