<html><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div id="content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; position: relative; float: left; width: 490px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;" class=""><h2 style="margin: 0.42em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 2.6em; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Most people probably aren’t interested but Thailand was my home for 22 years, so my heart is there now, as well as Calif., and Portland. This protest by students appears genuine in their call for the Red Shirt involvement. The Red Shirts were the group who supported Thaksin a populist that was supported by the poor in the poorest region of Thailand. Their call for the end of lese majeste, is a major step forward not dared before, the calling out of the names of those massacred in 1976 is another sign of legitimacy. Let’s hope it is, and not what maybe just another major power push by those in the west which I won’t go into.</h2><h2 style="margin: 0.42em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 2.6em; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><br class=""></h2><h2 style="margin: 0.42em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 2.6em; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Thai protest movement spreads across country’s northeast</h2><h5 style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" class="">By Owen Howell <br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">25 August 2020</h5><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Thailand’s student-led protest movement shows no signs of diminishing, as major rallies erupted over the past few days in the northeastern region of Isan. For more than a month now, large anti-government protests have been held almost daily.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Last week’s police operation, in which seven student leaders <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/22/thai-a22.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; font-weight: 700;" class="">were arrested</a> on charges including sedition, has done little to intimidate or stifle the growing movement.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">On Thursday, a protest in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen was organised by a local student group called Khon Kaen’s Had Enough. Around 1,000 people, mostly high school students, gathered at the Chao Por Lak Muang Shrine, where numerous students were invited on stage to deliver speeches.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">The protest’s organisers also performed a Buddhist ritual, intended to chase Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha out of power. A main road was closed for the event, which drew a much larger crowd than anticipated.</p><div class="imageFull" style="margin: 15px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; float: none; width: 480px;"><img src="https://www.wsws.org/asset/39f728ee-d0b4-4ef8-958c-70bbceaf651L/image.jpg?rendition=image480" srcset="https://www.wsws.org/asset/39f728ee-d0b4-4ef8-958c-70bbceaf651L/image.jpg?rendition=image960 2x" width="480" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; float: left; width: 480px; max-width: 100%; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2px; display: block; font-weight: 700; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.1em;" class="">Nakhon Ratchasima protest on Thursday, Credit: @arthemmarach (Twitter)</span></div><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Siwakorn Namnuad, a leader of Khon Kaen’s Had Enough, told <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Khaosod</em>reporters that Thursday was the first large-scale protest in the city centre. He noted the crowd’s enthusiastic response to the three demands of the protest movement: to dissolve parliament, end intimidation of political opponents, and rewrite the constitution.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">“If our demands are not met, we will increase the scale of our operations. Students are ready to call for change; we are waiting for working age people to join us,” Siwakorn said. Opposition in Thailand’s rural north and northeast to Prayut’s military-controlled government has meant that the movement is expanding beyond high schools and universities in the region.</p><div id="widgetContainer" class="imageLeft" style="margin: 15px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; float: left; width: 245px; background-color: rgb(241, 241, 241); overflow: hidden;"><div class="flash-messages" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px;"><div class="flash-message--thank-you-for-subscribing flash-message" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: center; transition: max-height 1s ease-in-out;"><h6 style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 1.6em;" class=""></h6><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class=""></p></div><div class="flash-message--thank-you-double-opt-in flash-message" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: center; transition: max-height 1s ease-in-out;"><h6 style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 1.6em;" class=""></h6><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class=""></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class=""></p></div></div><div class="engagement-widget" style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;"><div id="mauticform_wrapper_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget" class="mauticform_wrapper" style="margin: 10px auto; padding: 0px; max-width: 600px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(103, 103, 103);"><form autocomplete="false" role="form" method="post" action="https://mautic.wsws.org/form/submit?formId=131" id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget" data-mautic-form="wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget" enctype="multipart/form-data" target="mauticiframe_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3em;" class=""><div class="mauticform-error" id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_error" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; color: red;"></div><div class="mauticform-message" id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_message" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; color: green;"></div><div class="mauticform-innerform" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="mauticform-page-wrapper mauticform-page-1" data-mautic-form-page="1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_take_up_the_fight_for_soc" class="mauticform-row mauticform-freehtml mauticform-field-1" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><h3 id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_take_up_the_fight_for_soc" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_take_up_the_fight_for_soc" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 24px; color: rgb(43, 43, 43); clear: both; height: auto; background-image: none;">Take up the fight for socialism! </h3><div id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_take_up_the_fight_for_soc" name="mauticform[take_up_the_fight_for_soc]" value="" class="mauticform-freehtml" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_first_name" data-validate="first_name" data-validation-type="text" class="mauticform-field-2 mauticform-row mauticform-required mauticform-text" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_first_name" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_first_name" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; display: block; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(43, 43, 43);">First Name</label><input id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_first_name" name="mauticform[first_name]" value="" placeholder="First Name" class="mauticform-input" type="text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em; width: 205px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0px 0px inset; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; font-size: 16px;"></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_last_name" data-validate="last_name" data-validation-type="text" class="mauticform-required mauticform-row mauticform-field-3 mauticform-text" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_last_name" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_last_name" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; display: block; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(43, 43, 43);">Last Name</label><input id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_last_name" name="mauticform[last_name]" value="" placeholder="Last Name" class="mauticform-input" type="text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em; width: 205px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0px 0px inset; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; font-size: 16px;"></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_mobile_phone" data-validate="mobile_phone" data-validation-type="tel" class="mauticform-field-4 mauticform-row mauticform-tel mauticform-required" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_mobile_phone" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_mobile_phone" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; display: block; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(43, 43, 43);">Mobile Phone</label><input id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_mobile_phone" name="mauticform[mobile_phone]" value="" placeholder="Mobile Phone" class="mauticform-input" type="tel" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em; width: 205px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0px 0px inset; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; font-size: 16px;"></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_country" data-validate="country" data-validation-type="country" class="mauticform-field-5 mauticform-row mauticform-required mauticform-select" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_country" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_country" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; display: block; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(43, 43, 43);">Country</label><select id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_country" name="mauticform[country]" value="" class="mauticform-selectbox" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.5em; width: 205px; border-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0px 0px inset; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px;"> <option value="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""></option> <option value="Afghanistan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Afghanistan</option> <option value="Åland Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Åland Islands</option> <option value="Albania" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Albania</option> <option value="Algeria" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Algeria</option> <option value="Andorra" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Andorra</option> <option value="Angola" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Angola</option> <option value="Anguilla" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Anguilla</option> <option value="Antarctica" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Antarctica</option> <option value="Antigua and Barbuda" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Antigua and Barbuda</option> <option value="Argentina" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Argentina</option> <option value="Armenia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Armenia</option> <option value="Aruba" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Aruba</option> <option value="Australia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Australia</option> <option value="Austria" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Austria</option> <option value="Azerbaijan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Azerbaijan</option> <option value="Bahamas" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bahamas</option> <option value="Bahrain" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bahrain</option> <option value="Bangladesh" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bangladesh</option> <option value="Barbados" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Barbados</option> <option value="Belarus" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Belarus</option> <option value="Belgium" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Belgium</option> <option value="Belize" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Belize</option> <option value="Benin" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Benin</option> <option value="Bermuda" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bermuda</option> <option value="Bhutan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bhutan</option> <option value="Bolivia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bolivia</option> <option value="Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba</option> <option value="Bosnia and Herzegovina" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bosnia and Herzegovina</option> <option value="Botswana" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Botswana</option> <option value="Bouvet Island" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bouvet Island</option> <option value="Brazil" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Brazil</option> <option value="Brunei" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Brunei</option> <option value="Bulgaria" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bulgaria</option> <option value="Burkina Faso" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Burkina Faso</option> <option value="Burundi" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Burundi</option> <option value="Cape Verde" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cape Verde</option> <option value="Cambodia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cambodia</option> <option value="Cameroon" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cameroon</option> <option value="Canada" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Canada</option> <option value="Cayman Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cayman Islands</option> <option value="Central African Republic" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Central African Republic</option> <option value="Chad" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Chad</option> <option value="Chile" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Chile</option> <option value="China" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">China</option> <option value="Colombia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Colombia</option> <option value="Comoros" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Comoros</option> <option value="Cook Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cook Islands</option> <option value="Costa Rica" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Costa Rica</option> <option value="Croatia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Croatia</option> <option value="Cuba" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cuba</option> <option value="Cyprus" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Cyprus</option> <option value="Czech Republic" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Czech Republic</option> <option value="Denmark" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Denmark</option> <option value="Djibouti" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Djibouti</option> <option value="Dominica" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Dominica</option> <option value="Dominican Republic" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Dominican Republic</option> <option value="Democratic Republic of the Congo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Democratic Republic of the Congo</option> <option value="East Timor" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">East Timor</option> <option value="Ecuador" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ecuador</option> <option value="Egypt" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Egypt</option> <option value="El Salvador" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">El Salvador</option> <option value="Equatorial Guinea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Equatorial Guinea</option> <option value="Eritrea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Eritrea</option> <option value="Estonia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Estonia</option> <option value="Ethiopia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ethiopia</option> <option value="Falkland Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Falkland Islands</option> <option value="Fiji" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Fiji</option> <option value="Finland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Finland</option> <option value="France" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">France</option> <option value="French Guiana" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">French Guiana</option> <option value="French Polynesia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">French Polynesia</option> <option value="Gabon" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Gabon</option> <option value="Gambia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Gambia</option> <option value="Georgia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Georgia</option> <option value="Germany" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Germany</option> <option value="Ghana" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ghana</option> <option value="Gibraltar" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Gibraltar</option> <option value="Greece" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Greece</option> <option value="Greenland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Greenland</option> <option value="Grenada" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Grenada</option> <option value="Guadeloupe" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guadeloupe</option> <option value="Guam" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guam</option> <option value="Guatemala" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guatemala</option> <option value="Guernsey" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guernsey</option> <option value="Guinea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guinea</option> <option value="Guinea Bissau" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guinea Bissau</option> <option value="Guyana" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Guyana</option> <option value="Haiti" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Haiti</option> <option value="Heard Island and McDonald Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Heard Island and McDonald Islands</option> <option value="Holy See" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Holy See</option> <option value="Honduras" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Honduras</option> <option value="Hong Kong" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Hong Kong</option> <option value="Hungary" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Hungary</option> <option value="Iceland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Iceland</option> <option value="India" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">India</option> <option value="Indonesia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Indonesia</option> <option value="Iran" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Iran</option> <option value="Iraq" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Iraq</option> <option value="Ireland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ireland</option> <option value="Israel" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Israel</option> <option value="Italy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Italy</option> <option value="Ivory Coast" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ivory Coast</option> <option value="Jamaica" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Jamaica</option> <option value="Japan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Japan</option> <option value="Jersey" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Jersey</option> <option value="Jordan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Jordan</option> <option value="Kazakhstan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Kazakhstan</option> <option value="Kenya" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Kenya</option> <option value="Kiribati" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Kiribati</option> <option value="Kuwait" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Kuwait</option> <option value="Kyrgyzstan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Kyrgyzstan</option> <option value="Laos" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Laos</option> <option value="Latvia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Latvia</option> <option value="Lebanon" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Lebanon</option> <option value="Lesotho" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Lesotho</option> <option value="Liberia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Liberia</option> <option value="Libya" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Libya</option> <option value="Liechtenstein" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Liechtenstein</option> <option value="Lithuania" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Lithuania</option> <option value="Luxembourg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Luxembourg</option> <option value="Macao" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Macao</option> <option value="Macedonia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Macedonia</option> <option value="Madagascar" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Madagascar</option> <option value="Malawi" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Malawi</option> <option value="Malaysia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Malaysia</option> <option value="Maldives" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Maldives</option> <option value="Mali" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mali</option> <option value="Malta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Malta</option> <option value="Marshall Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Marshall Islands</option> <option value="Martinique" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Martinique</option> <option value="Mauritania" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mauritania</option> <option value="Mauritius" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mauritius</option> <option value="Mayotte" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mayotte</option> <option value="Mexico" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mexico</option> <option value="Micronesia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Micronesia</option> <option value="Moldova" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Moldova</option> <option value="Monaco" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Monaco</option> <option value="Mongolia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mongolia</option> <option value="Montenegro" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Montenegro</option> <option value="Montserrat" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Montserrat</option> <option value="Morocco" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Morocco</option> <option value="Mozambique" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Mozambique</option> <option value="Myanmar" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Myanmar</option> <option value="Namibia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Namibia</option> <option value="Nauru" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Nauru</option> <option value="Nepal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Nepal</option> <option value="Netherlands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Netherlands</option> <option value="New Caledonia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">New Caledonia</option> <option value="New Zealand" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">New Zealand</option> <option value="Nicaragua" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Nicaragua</option> <option value="Niger" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Niger</option> <option value="Nigeria" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Nigeria</option> <option value="Niue" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Niue</option> <option value="North Korea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">North Korea</option> <option value="Northern Mariana Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Northern Mariana Islands</option> <option value="Norway" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Norway</option> <option value="Oman" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Oman</option> <option value="Pakistan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Pakistan</option> <option value="Palau" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Palau</option> <option value="Palestine" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Palestine</option> <option value="Panama" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Panama</option> <option value="Papua New Guinea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Papua New Guinea</option> <option value="Paraguay" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Paraguay</option> <option value="Peru" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Peru</option> <option value="Philippines" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Philippines</option> <option value="Pitcairn" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Pitcairn</option> <option value="Poland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Poland</option> <option value="Portugal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Portugal</option> <option value="Puerto Rico" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Puerto Rico</option> <option value="Qatar" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Qatar</option> <option value="Republic of the Congo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Republic of the Congo</option> <option value="Réunion" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Réunion</option> <option value="Romania" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Romania</option> <option value="Russia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Russia</option> <option value="Rwanda" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Rwanda</option> <option value="Saint Barthelemy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Barthelemy</option> <option value="Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</option> <option value="Saint Kitts and Nevis" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Kitts and Nevis</option> <option value="Saint Lucia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Lucia</option> <option value="Saint Martin" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Martin</option> <option value="Saint Pierre and Miquelon" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Pierre and Miquelon</option> <option value="Saint Vincent and the Grenadines" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</option> <option value="Samoa" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Samoa</option> <option value="San Marino" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">San Marino</option> <option value="Sao Tome and Principe" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Sao Tome and Principe</option> <option value="Saudi Arabia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Saudi Arabia</option> <option value="Senegal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Senegal</option> <option value="Serbia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Serbia</option> <option value="Seychelles" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Seychelles</option> <option value="Sierra Leone" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Sierra Leone</option> <option value="Singapore" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Singapore</option> <option value="Slovakia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Slovakia</option> <option value="Slovenia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Slovenia</option> <option value="Solomon Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Solomon Islands</option> <option value="Somalia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Somalia</option> <option value="South Africa" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">South Africa</option> <option value="South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</option> <option value="South Korea" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">South Korea</option> <option value="South Sudan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">South Sudan</option> <option value="Spain" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Spain</option> <option value="Sri Lanka" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Sri Lanka</option> <option value="Svalbard and Jan Mayen" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Svalbard and Jan Mayen</option> <option value="Sudan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Sudan</option> <option value="Suriname" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Suriname</option> <option value="Swaziland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Swaziland</option> <option value="Sweden" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Sweden</option> <option value="Switzerland" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Switzerland</option> <option value="Syria" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Syria</option> <option value="Tahiti" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tahiti</option> <option value="Taiwan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Taiwan</option> <option value="Tajikistan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tajikistan</option> <option value="Tanzania" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tanzania</option> <option value="Thailand" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Thailand</option> <option value="Togo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Togo</option> <option value="Tokelau" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tokelau</option> <option value="Tonga" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tonga</option> <option value="Trinidad and Tobago" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Trinidad and Tobago</option> <option value="Tunisia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tunisia</option> <option value="Turkey" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Turkey</option> <option value="Turkmenistan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Turkmenistan</option> <option value="Turks and Caicos Islands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Turks and Caicos Islands</option> <option value="Tuvalu" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Tuvalu</option> <option value="United Kingdom" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">United Kingdom</option> <option value="United States" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">United States</option> <option value="Unknown" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Unknown</option> <option value="Uganda" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Uganda</option> <option value="Ukraine" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Ukraine</option> <option value="United Arab Emirates" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">United Arab Emirates</option> <option value="Uruguay" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Uruguay</option> <option value="Uzbekistan" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Uzbekistan</option> <option value="Vanuatu" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Vanuatu</option> <option value="Venezuela" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Venezuela</option> <option value="Vietnam" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Vietnam</option> <option value="Virgin Islands (British)" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Virgin Islands (British)</option> <option value="Virgin Islands (U.S.)" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Virgin Islands (U.S.)</option> <option value="Wallis and Futuna" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Wallis and Futuna</option> <option value="Western Sahara" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Western Sahara</option> <option value="Yemen" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Yemen</option> <option value="Yugoslavia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Yugoslavia</option> <option value="Zambia" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Zambia</option> <option value="Zimbabwe" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Zimbabwe</option> </select></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_zip" data-validate="zip" data-validation-type="text" class="mauticform-required mauticform-row mauticform-field-6 mauticform-text" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_label_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_zip" for="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_zip" class="mauticform-label" style="margin: 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; display: block; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(43, 43, 43);">Zip</label><input id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_zip" name="mauticform[zip]" value="" placeholder="Zip" class="mauticform-input" type="text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em; width: 205px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0px 0px inset; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; font-size: 16px;"></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_informed_consent" data-validate="informed_consent" data-validation-type="checkboxgrp" class="mauticform-required mauticform-row mauticform-checkboxgrp mauticform-field-7" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><div class="mauticform-checkboxgrp-row" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><label id="mauticform_checkboxgrp_label_informed_consent_Yes0" for="mauticform_checkboxgrp_checkbox_informed_consent_Yes0" class="mauticform-checkboxgrp-label" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: bold;"><input class="mauticform-checkboxgrp-checkbox" name="mauticform[informed_consent][]" id="mauticform_checkboxgrp_checkbox_informed_consent_Yes0" type="checkbox" value="Yes" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> I would like to be contacted by the Socialist Equality Party or the WSWS. I acknowledge that the WSWS uses my personal information in accordance with its <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/special/privacy.html" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 86, 137); text-decoration: none;" class="">privacy policy</a>. </label></div></div><div id="mauticform_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_submit" class="mauticform-row mauticform-button-wrapper mauticform-field-8" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><button type="submit" name="mauticform[submit]" id="mauticform_input_wswsnewsletterconversionqualifiedleadconversionwidget_submit" value="" class="mauticform-button btn btn-default" style="margin: 0px; padding: 12px 16px; font-weight: 600; vertical-align: middle; cursor: pointer; border: rgb(204, 0, 0); white-space: nowrap; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.3856; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; -webkit-user-select: none; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(204, 0, 0); width: 205px;">Submit</button></div></div></div></form></div></div></div><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Another large demonstration was held on Thursday at the Yo Ma Monument in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. As in Khon Kaen, the crowd was estimated at over 1,000, while the stage was dominated by high school pupils.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Speakers denounced the 250 senators in office, all of them appointed by the military junta that assumed power in 2014, under Prayut’s leadership. They also made special appeals for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, widely despised for his critical role in the military coup and involvement in a 2018 corruption scandal.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Khon Kaen was the location for another rally on Saturday, arranged by student organisations from nine provinces under the name of the Isan Liberation Network. At the same time, a protest in Ubon Ratchathani was notable for the appearance of Parit Chirawak, a central leader of the Free Youth movement that has orchestrated the Thai protests.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">In the north, a significant student rally within the grounds of Chiang Mai University was held by student group Community of MorChor. Attendance was so much greater than expected that the venue overflowed with students, and barriers had to be dismantled to accommodate members of the public drawn to the event. Police officers were reportedly scattered through the crowd taking pictures of the organisers.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">According to <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Prachatai</em>, student representatives on stage read out a list of Chiang Mai University students who had been killed during the bloody Thammasat University massacre in 1976. They also read the names of members of the Farmers’ Federation of Thailand (FFT), involved in the peasant revolts of the 1970s, who died in the massacre.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">One student leader called on the Red Shirts movement to participate more openly in upcoming protests. The Red Shirts, supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/05/thai-m27.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; font-weight: 700;" class="">staged mass demonstrations</a> in Bangkok in 2010, and were largely based in the north and northeast.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Anti-government activity in Bangkok, meanwhile, has continued since the <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/19/thai-a19.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(68, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; font-weight: 700;" class="">August 16 rally</a>, which drew tens of thousands of people and was the largest demonstration since the 2014 coup.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Around 400 high school students from across the capital besieged the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, showing the three-fingered salute in solidarity with the protests. When Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan and his aides appeared outside, the students treated them with contempt, jeering loudly and making thumbs-down gestures and then ordered them to the back of the crowd.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Some students blew whistles as he tried speaking to them, a disruptive tactic notoriously used in the 2014 protests that helped trigger the military coup, in which Nataphol himself had played a role.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Students from Rajini School, a private girls’ school in Bangkok, yesterday wore white ribbons (a symbol of the protests), even after the school’s administration banned all forms of political expression on campus. A group of nearly 1,000 alumnae have signed an open letter to protest the ban.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">On Sunday, students from four major Bangkok universities—Kasetsart, Silpakorn, Bangkok, and Rangsit—assembled on Sunday at the Lan Khon Meaung Square in Phra Nakhon district.</p><div class="imageFull" style="margin: 15px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; float: none; width: 480px;"><img src="https://www.wsws.org/asset/b11d1a82-8053-49b3-94ea-80491b337a2I/image.jpg?rendition=image480" srcset="https://www.wsws.org/asset/b11d1a82-8053-49b3-94ea-80491b337a2I/image.jpg?rendition=image960 2x" width="480" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; float: left; width: 480px; max-width: 100%; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2px; display: block; font-weight: 700; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.1em;" class="">Nakhon Ratchasima protest on Thursday, Credit: @arthemmarach (Twitter)</span></div><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">They were campaigning against the state persecution of political activists, in particular those condemned under the country’s draconian lèse majesté law, which criminalises any alleged criticism of the Thai monarchy. The student leaders announced that they would gather more often every time the government used the law to arrest protesters.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">The response of Prayut’s government to the protest movement changed markedly after a rally on August 3, when student leaders added to the three initial demands a call to reform the monarchy.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">King Vajiralongkorn’s ties with the military-backed government, along with his personal possession of crown assets, has provoked hostility throughout the population. This was demonstrated in the outrage on social media when Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party, exposed a steep rise in the annual budget for Palace agencies over the last three years.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">The amount was pegged at $US285 million for the next fiscal year—up 16.8 percent from last year, compared to a 3.1 percent rise in the overall national budget, <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Nation Thailand</em> reported.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">After the seven arrests last week, protest leader and vocal critic of the monarchy Panupong Jaadnok was arrested yesterday on sedition charges related to his participation in the August 10 rally, where a manifesto of 10 demands for monarchy reform was declared. Yesterday evening, he was transported to a police station in Pathum Thani, where Parit Chirawak said a protest would be held in his defence.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Two organisers of a student rally in the northern city of Lamphun have been ordered to report to police and hear charges against them. One of the students, Thanatorn Vitayabenjang, said in an interview with Al Jazeera: “There’s been many cases where [police] tried to report protesters, but at the end of the day, after everyone is over that fear, it becomes a catalyst to come out more and go against the government.”</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">Many more protests are planned for the coming weeks. In Nakhon Ratchasima, protesters announced that a major student rally would take place on September 19 at Thammasat University’s main Tha Prachan campus in Bangkok. Free Youth has not yet revealed details, but stated its plans to camp out overnight, in what could be a massive rally of students and broader sections of society.</p><p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.36em;" class="">The <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="">Bangkok Post</em> reported that security agencies were fearful of the upcoming protests. A meeting between Prime Minister Prayut and high-ranking military generals was held on Friday, in which preparations for possible mass upheavals were discussed. <a href="http://wsws.org" class="">WSWS.ORG</a></p><div class="campaign" style="margin: 20px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div data-track-content="" data-content-name="End of article" data-content-piece="default" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""></div></div><div id="article-tools" style="margin: 2em 0px 0px; padding: 5px; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><iframe id="dsq-app4474" name="dsq-app4474" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" tabindex="0" title="Disqus" width="100%" src="https://disqus.com/embed/comments/?base=default&f=wsws&t_i=5710cfa6-c858-4099-bf4c-4361b8d57a2E&t_u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2020%2F08%2F25%2Fthai-a25.html&t_e=Thai%20protest%20movement%20spreads%20across%20country%E2%80%99s%20northeast&t_d=Thai%20protest%20movement%20spreads%20across%20country%E2%80%99s%20northeast%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site&t_t=Thai%20protest%20movement%20spreads%20across%20country%E2%80%99s%20northeast&s_o=default&l=en#version=d80e7960e31e451e76adfbc1d4ce90d1" horizontalscrolling="no" verticalscrolling="no" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: 461px !important;" class=""></iframe></div></div><div id="sidebar" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px; position: relative; float: right; width: 440px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;" class=""><div class="column" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; float: left; width: 210px; overflow: hidden;"><div class="infobox" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(223, 223, 223); background-color: rgb(254, 254, 254);"></div></div></div></body></html>