A plea for youth

National Youth Day was on 20 September, and an anonymous reader sent us a plea for Thailand’s youth. Below we reproduce some parts of this plea:

Youth Under Repression

Thai youth, some as young as 15, are imprisoned under Section 112 (lèse-majesté) for speaking about the monarchy.

Activists and women advocating for rights face harassment, imprisonment, and suppression.

These prosecutions create a climate of fear, silencing the next generation.

This is not gossip or royal drama — it is a reflection of how power is used to silence, punish, and erase inconvenient people, even within the royal family. The monarchy’s neglect of its own children mirrors its treatment of Thailand’s youth: punishment, exile, and fear.

We are desperate for change and to end the cycle of abuse. We are hoping to spread the word outside of Thailand so that the world can see the truth, and perhaps Thai people will also be able to obtain the truth. By drawing international attention, we hope to highlight both the plight of ordinary youth and the hidden abuses within the royal family.