Student protests in Southeast Asia have brought down dictators before: What Thailand’s students can learn - Thai Enquirer
▻https://www.thaienquirer.com/16136/student-protests-in-south-east-asia-have-brought-down-dictators-before
Where does that leave #เยาวชนปลดแอก?
The current cross-generational nature of student-led protest turnout can be fleeting, as the First Quarter Storm protests tell us. A movement built and centered around campuses becomes overly dependent on the rhythm of the school year, on the personalities of certain students, on the (often fragile) unity among student leadership.
Rather, a dedicated attempt at cross-class coalition building – involving leaders, organizers and agitators from farming communities, informal laborers and factory workers – is critical to keep the protest momentum going over the many years it will take to create political change. The waves of protest in Indonesia came from different factions of society. In some important cases, as in 1996, protests barely involved student leadership at all.
More importantly, student leaders must look beyond traditional allies. Calls for current student protest leaders to link up with trade unions or opposition parties are important, but far from enough. As seen with the Red Shirt protests in 2010, real social change comes from tapping into the concerns of the informal proletariat. Amid a pandemic that has widened the income gap further, there are more than enough problems to amplify.
Ultimately, returning power to the people means recognizing the breadth and depth of who ‘the people’ really are. A cross-class coalition will give students the vital support and momentum needed to keep going.
#Thaïlande #people_power #Asie_du_Sud-Est #Philippines #Indonésie
