| Knowledge-Net for a Better World |
February 2021 |
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A Struggle for Democracy in Divided Thailand
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Asian Studies,
Chulalongkorn University |
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| "Democracy's Pendulum: Understanding Thailand's Political Polarization" |
Since the early 20th century, Thailand’s democratization has often been hindered by the Monarchy’s authoritarian system and its military coups despite advancements in creating a more inclusive and representative government. In this article, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, assistant professor at the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University, argues that the 2020 youth-led protests represented a turning point in this struggle, as the movement undermined the legitimacy of the established monarchical government. Utilizing new forms of social organization and media outreach, Sombatapoonsiri outlines how protestors articulated their dissatisfaction with the authority’s suppressive rule and increasing socio-economic disparity, and produced an all-encompassing awareness campaign that is helping to reassert the country’s path towards a more democratic future. By navigating Thailand’s historic fluctuation between democratic advancement and monarchical dominance, Sombatopoonsiri warns that future pro-democracy efforts will be met by a pendulum of royalist sentiment, only deepening the divisions of an already politically polarized citizenry.  |
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