Win or lose, a protest is a process of trial and error. To put it simply, it is disruption, innovation, or something in between, just the way the now-defunct but shape-shifting Future Forward Party was in 2019 because it is born out of a spirit, not a person or a party. If the student-led demonstration goes down in history for demanding the boldest political reform, including the role of the monarchy, its resurrection last week proves that the pro-democracy movement is coming of age.
While some poo yai dismiss the younger generation, an emblem of revolutionary change, with a nonchalant shrug, others have cast doubt over their calls for the ouster of the premier, charter rewrite and monarchy reform to varying degrees. Like it or not, the government's crackdown has ended street protests. Demonstrators are facing a dilemma in which silence is the price they have to pay for conditional freedom. More than 1,800 people have faced charges since the mass rally took place in July 2020, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
However, protesters have made some progress in pushing for their progressive agenda. Monarchy reform is no longer a cultural taboo. It has received wider media coverage, though self-censorship remains. In the aftermath of economic crisis, the royal budget has been cut. Conservative values are challenged on all fronts, including at universities. Last year, Chulalongkorn University became the subject of heated debate over its traditional coronet parade.
