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Thailand's Conservative Government Grapples with Royal Reckoning

Zsombor Peter

   KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Thailand's largely decentralized protest
   movement and evolving internet landscape will make it tough for the
   country's conservative government to mute mounting calls to rein in the
   country's powerful monarchy, observers say.

   Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa broke a decades-long taboo by
   challenging the king's powers in public at a pro-democracy protest in
   the capital, Bangkok, on August 3. At another protest a week later,
   activists unveiled a bold 10-point plan to reform the monarchy that
   would, among other things, bar the royal palace from expressing
   political opinions and repeal a defamation law that can land any critic
   of the king in jail for up to 15 years.

   Their demands have ricocheted around the country at student-led
   protests calling for a new constitution and an end to the government of
   Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, who led a successful military coup in
   2014 and prevailed in an election last year widely seen as rigged. His
   government has staked much of its reputation on a promise to protect
   and preserve the monarchy, which many Thais still revere as
   semi-divine.

   Young and restless

   Younger Thais are less enamored. They make up the bulk of the
   pro-democracy protesters and see a royal palace playing politics well
   beyond its constitutional constraints to maintain the status quo.

   Prayut had warned the protesters to steer clear of criticizing the
   monarchy back in June and said they "really went too far" after the
   August 10 rally where activists read out their 10-point reform plan.

   Since then authorities have arrested more than a dozen activists and
   charged them with a spate of offenses from sedition to incitement.
   Anon, the human rights lawyer, was among them.

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