Satire loses its edge
A satirical
parade at the 70th annual football match between Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities at Supachalasai Stadium is a hot issue on social media.
The parade and flash-card presentation at Saturday’s game drew heavy attention from mainstream media as it mocked Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and the NCPO.
Earlier, the authorities demanded the universities report the theme and content of their displays to police to make sure they did not offend the regime.
While the Chula team was able to enter the stadium, as their parade carried no political theme, Thammasat students were forced to hide some of their banners to get them past the scrutiny of the police and the army. They revealed them during the parade together with caricatures of key political figures.
The flash-card presentation and the parade received boisterous cheers and applause from spectators.
The League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy (LLTD), a progressive student group, explained the parade on its webpage.
Several Facebook users, some of them past and present students from the university, posted images of the parade and said they are proud of the students for their bold political messages.
However, some internet users said the students could afford to be brave because they represent the privileged elite.
The university entrance system screens students from the lower social classes out from top universities such as Chula and Thammasat, they said.
Former co-leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee Sakolthee Phattiyakul said he was disappointed with the Thammasat students.
Even though he did not spell it out, his message implied sympathy with the military regime.
He said the students demanded elections, but paid little attention to the corruption and divisiveness plaguing the country before the military stepped in.
“Where were you when the country needed you?” he asked. Sakolthi’s comments triggered heavy criticism among pro-democracy Facebook users.