This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 24, 1932, Thailand made a significant shift from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, marking a pivotal moment in the country's history. Eighty-eight years later, activists chose to commemorate this occasion in subversive ways, including dressing up as soldiers and displaying a pre-dawn holographic display.
However, under the government of former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, marking the revolution has become increasingly taboo. The military describes itself as the protector of the kingdom's unassailable monarchy, which is headed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, shielded from criticism by harsh lese majeste laws.
"We will revive the soul of the People's Party from 88 years ago," said Anon Numpa, an activist lawyer who organized the rally. The event was a bold statement by the youth-focused movement, fueled by social media and tired of the kingdom's yawning inequality and constricted freedoms.
Activists unveiled a replica of a small bronze plaque marking the 1932 anniversary, which had mysteriously vanished in 2017. The original plaque was embedded in the ground of Bangkok's Royal Plaza for decades before its disappearance. The activists say the missing plaque is emblematic of a wider whitewashing of Thai political history.
"They (the army) are trying to decrease the people's power," said activist Pachanee Kamnak, urging revisions to the country's army-scripted constitution. The lese majeste laws have made it impossible for frank discussion or reporting on the monarchy from inside the kingdom.
