Enforced mourning

PPT missed this article earlier in November, but as enforced mourning for the old, now officially dead, queen goes on and on, it deserves mention.

In Asia Democracy Chronicles, from the Asia Democracy Network, Pravit Rojanaphruk of Khaosod English writes about the huge state effort in Thailand to demand mourning for a dead royal. Not only is mourning demanded and enforced, but the eulogies paid for by the state and by “loyal” companies is hagiographical.

Pravit makes many good points, including criticizing the local media for its self-censorship and for falling in line with state demands for uncritical reporting and unending posterior polishing.

He begins by referring to a meeting with a senior Special Branch police detective who “complained about the students who had recently put up posters protesting the enforced mourning…”. He went on to complain that:

… if Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has to stay in power for more than the originally promised four months, just so he can organize the Royal Cremation ceremony, there might be more disruptive gatherings by these youths…. The detective noted that students from Thammasat and Chulalongkorn universities, both top educational institutions in the country, were among those who posted signs that read “Mourning the freedom of the people” on utility poles and in several public places.

The media did little to report such defiance, which is, these days, much reduced after almost 5 years of draconian repression of the monarchy reform movement, with many of its leaders and members now in exile or languishing in detention for daring to criticize the monarchy.

Long supine on the monarchy, the local media hardly dares mention lese majeste cases or the destruction of these kids’ lives for daring to point to the faults and foibles of the king and his bizarre family. Nor does it ask why billions of baht in taxpayer funding is lavished on that family or on their double burden as they now must also observe an enforced mourning that impinges daily on the lives of millions of those taxpayers.