What are they "liberating"!? An exploration of the political understanding of the younger generation and their views on the three key demands and the act of "raising three fingers".

On August 16, 2020, the significant event was not just the monthly lottery draw but the gathering of the group #DeadlineToOverthrowDictatorship at the Democracy Monument, stretching from the sidewalk in front of McDonald's to the Kok Wua intersection.

The atmosphere of the gathering was filled with speeches from various groups, including students, LGBTQ+ groups, and labor unions advocating for human rights. The event started at 3:00 PM and concluded at 11:00 PM, with the organizers reiterating their three main demands once again:

  1. Stop harassing the people
  2. Draft a new constitution
  3. Dissolve the parliament

At this moment, the voices of the younger generation are becoming increasingly prominent. Just as children are the future of the nation, listening to their voices is equally important. However, there are still some narratives that question the involvement of youth in politics, such as claims that they do not understand politics well enough, that they only hear one-sided information, or that they are brainwashed and join protests merely due to trends. Therefore, we invited young people to discuss their understanding of politics and their perspectives on the three main demands that unite their movements.

  • Let it end with our generation

"We are angry and can no longer tolerate it,"

asserted Wimonrat, a 23-year-old youth. She shared that attending the protest on August 16 was her second time participating, having joined the first one on July 18. Approximately three years ago, she was not very interested in politics and only observed it from a distance, thinking it was unrelated to her.

“At that time, I didn’t even know the difference between the left and right, and I only recognized the yellow and red shirts as something violent and scary. I was happy as long as the country was peaceful,”

she recalled. The turning point that made her interested in politics was engaging with social media and reading certain information, which led her to question and seek out more information. She emphasized that she still does not know as much about politics as others do, and whenever she has questions, she messages friends or looks for information to read, trying and learning as she goes; no one knows everything from birth.

“After being awakened, I realized that while the country seems peaceful, many problems are hidden under the rug. This is not how it should be anymore; it’s time for change. When we gather with like-minded people, it makes us feel that our voices matter. Even if it’s just the voice of youth, we still have the right to speak freely,”

she continued. She noted that every time she attends a protest, even though she has only been to two, it fills her with enthusiasm. However, she also acknowledges that every place has its problems, but allowing us to discuss those problems is crucial in a democratic country.

Similarly, Bella shared that her reason for joining the protest was to be part of this historical moment because the gathering represents an expression of democratic rights when we are not receiving justice in many areas, including poor welfare and the openly dictatorial actions of the government.

“We come out to declare our stance and want to be part of the history of this protest,”

she stated. On the other hand, the protests have awakened some people! For instance, Busarin, a newcomer learning about politics, shared that the protests over the past week have prompted her to start questioning the protests and the government's actions. Although she has never participated in any protests, she keeps up with the news and wants to know what is happening.

“I started sending messages to friends asking where I could find information about October 14 because the news made me want to know what was going on,”

she said.

SOURCE: www.bangkokbiznews.com