Thailand Government Encourages Students To Express Political Views

Amidst ongoing anti-government protests in the Thai capital, Bangkok, schools have been instructed to permit their students to discuss and express political views at school, even during school hours according to sources in Bangkok.

It is a move announced by Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan in recent hours it is being seen largely as an effort to placate an increasingly frustrated populace looking for political change.

There have been reports of students donning white ribbons – a symbol against dictatorship – and even using a now-popular three finger salute, a gesture that has now spread to schools outside the capital.

Speaking to the media, the Education Minister said that the right to freedom of speech does not end at the school gates, thus students should be allowed to (express themselves politically if they so desire).

The minister also said that Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, recognised these rights and asked for solutions to be put in to place to allow students complete

freedom in this regard.

It is understood the minister has instructed school officials nationwide to encourage an environment in which students can openly voice opinions and opposition to issues they feel strongly about.

Schools in several areas have already seen demonstrations of such, with around 50 students at Samsen Witthayalai School in Bangkok joining a protest and making three-fingered gestures as they shouted “Down with Dictatorship.”

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.