Thread by @Thai_Talk

This is an excellent interview with some leaders (5 girls) of school student protests. All say school is a closed space for critical thinking and questioning, a reflection of authoritarian culture that they want to change.
#WhatsHappeningInThailand the101.world/students-movem…

The intellect of these school kids no older than 18 is impressive. They see structural problems in unfair punishments at school (e.g. for hair-dress code violations) and teachers’ impunity, how school authoritarian culture is linked to politics and affects their lives and future.

“The school is a mirror of the state. Teachers represent power. Pupils are citizens oppressed by power in many situations. When pupils create a space for discussion, we realize the unfairness. For example, teachers don’t need to follow certain school rules but pupils must...”

“I like social studies but I feel [it’s] a tool of the state to mold us, indoctrinate us... Social studies should be open to free expression and criticism w/ open-ended questions but in Thai education system it directs us to rote learning& obedience and is not open to questions.”

Thai schoolgirl activists from a prestigious public school in Bangkok:

“If the school is a factory that produces docile citizens, our group is a collection of QC-rejected merchandise.”

#หนูรู้หนูมันเลว .|||. #StudentProtestsInThailand
#WhatsHappeningInThailand

“Grownups often wonder why we believe others not [grownups] at home or well-meaning teachers. I’d really like to say that I don’t believe anyone 100%. I consider many things before deciding what’s right for me. Grownups should do the same. They shouldn’t believe only one side...”

Schoolgirl from Isan:

“Isan people are said to be ‘stupid, poor, hurt’. To me that’s not an insult but sort of true. ‘Stupid’ is [thinking we’ve got] enough. ‘Poor’ b/c we lack access to good education... ‘Hurt’ b/c we must work and strive so hard [without state support]...”

“Right now our society has destroyed our dreams and hopes. The authoritarian state has given us a sense of hopelessness. It makes dreams only possible for a certain group of people. Others have no right to dream, even though politics should allow all groups to hope.”

“But we must continue with dreams and hopes we have for Thai society. Nothing fancy. I merely want to see a country that see citizens as human, free public space to enjoy beauty&knowledge, a country conducive to love, freedom of expression, rights+liberty in [self-determination]”

A remarkable schoolgirl from Chiang Mai, who loves game coding and writing songs, is interested philosophy, psychology, human rights, intellectual property rights. But school has little to offer so she learns from the internet.

She has ideas about Thai education reform.

https://twitter.com/workpointTODAY/status/1300430372069502976

Many people have noticed and wondered about the disproportionate number of girls than boys in student protests in Thailand.

This was discussed on Thai Twitter and several answers/hypotheses were offered. I’ll summarize them here as it’s quite interesting IMO.

Key factors offered on Thai Twitter why there are more girls than boys in Thai student protests:

1) Girls (& LGBTs) have disproportionately more pent-up frustration from oppression/discrimination experience than boys
2) Girls show more leadership at school

3 + 4 (/cont.)

3) K-pop fans who became more political on Twitter are disproportionately girls, hence more girls are exposed to political discourse
4) Boys are less interested in politics & more into other things, e.g. sports, gaming, and subject to reserved military training

Another observation. In relation to the dissolution (on dubious grounds) of the Future Forward Party popular among youth (believed to trigger youth-led protests), the schoolgirl activists said that was not the primary cause of their coming out to protest but “the last straw”.

The role of Twitter in students-led protest movement is also interesting. Many school pupils (>50%, according to research by an academic) said Twitter is an important source of information beyond textbooks and an open platform for exchange of information and critical ideas.