Tag: Apirat Kongsompong

"If the election is a trick on the people, Thais will march and not accept it." A military-drafted 2017 constitution aims to prevent the opposition Pheu Thai party from returning to office -- and ensure the army will continue to have a say in the country's future, no matter who wins the election. The rule of Prayut Chan-o-cha, the military coup leader turned prime minister, has been marked with increased repression, activists say. "Ongoing repression means that voters, political parties and the media in Thailand will have their arms twisted and their mouths gagged in the lead-up to the election." "He desperately wants to be the premiership, this is about his personal ambition," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, told CNN. The phrase 'history repeats itself' has taken on a new meaning in Thailand, a nation that has seen a dozen successful coups since 1932. His sister, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was kicked out just before Prayut's coup in 2014, following six months of civil unrest and violent street protests. It appears a new Shinawatra generation could be about to make its mark. After the military lifted a ban on political campaigning in December, a host of smaller parties appeared, including Pheu Dharmma and Thai Raksa Chart, with many Pheu Thai members joining their ranks. "Now the atmosphere has changed and young people are more aware," 21-year-old LGBTQ activist and Future Forward party member Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree told CNN.