Thailand activists link massacre anniversary to lese majeste

Thai activists marking the 50th anniversary of the October 6, 1976, massacre at Thammasat University say a new generation of protesters still faces prosecution, jail or exile for dissent.

Nutthanit Duangmusit, 24, spent several months in pre-trial detention before being convicted under Thailand's strict royal defamation law. She is on bail while appealing the conviction and has helped organise commemorations for the anniversary of the killings at the Bangkok university.

Security forces and right-wing mobs stormed the campus at dawn on October 6, 1976, after students gathered to oppose the return of former military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn. The official death toll was 46, while survivors and witnesses believe more than 100 people were killed. No state official has been held accountable.

Nutthanit was involved in youth-led protests that began in 2020 and drew tens of thousands of people demanding democratic change and reform of the monarchy. Almost 300 people have been charged under lese majeste since 2020.

Government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises said many of those involved in the 1976 incident have since died or could not be located. He said the current government wants to find ways to prevent such violent incidents. The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the use of legal measures against activists.

The massacre receives little attention in Thai textbooks, leaving younger generations to learn about it from survivors and independent research. Activists say the current royal defamation penalties are linked to Order No. 41, introduced after the military seized power on the evening of the massacre. The order set a minimum jail term of three years and raised the maximum sentence from seven to 15 years.

Thiraphop Tengprawat, 21, was charged with lese majeste over a satirical banner displayed on another Thammasat campus last October after the university cancelled student events following the death of Queen Sirikit, the current king's mother. Police alleged the banner insulted Sirikit. He is waiting to hear whether he will face trial.

Nutthanit, Thiraphop and reform campaigner Nasree Phumkuea are among activists who have joined massacre survivors campaigning to repeal the junta order behind the current lese majeste penalties.