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Beyond the Democracy Movement in Thailand: The ‘Events of 6th and 14th October’
Beyond the Democracy Movement in Thailand: The ‘Events of 6th and 14th October’
Every October, Thais across the nation come together to reflect on two pivotal events in Thai political history: 14th October, 1973 and 6th October 1976. Though they did not happen in the same year, the activists associated with these events are remembered as the ‘Octobrists’ for more than just the month these events took place during. The Octobrists represent the long Thai struggle for intersectional #Liberation on political, social, and other fronts, and inspire those continuing to fight for the same causes in the present day.
The ‘Octobrist’ movement continues to inspire many Thai activists to this day - the Thai #ProDemocracy movement of 2019-2021 was testament to this. Today, we take the opportunity to raise awareness for the other fields of #Activism motivated by the Octobrists, including the student, labour, Farmers’, and Women’s Rights movements. Though they do not receive as much mainstream acknowledgement, they are equally important players alongside the Pro-Democracy Movement as part of the collective, #Intersectional, nationwide fight for a more equitable society.
Thai Student Movements have long been inspired by socialist ideology, such as regarding the topics of #Equality, #Equity, class struggle, and critiques of #Capitalism. The movement has been historically influenced by the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT).
The Student Movement has also always worked in close #Solidarity with Thai workers, students and farmers, including intersectional and diverse #SoutheastAsianActivists from across the region.
Finally, as #IntersectionalFeminists, we of course have to highlight how much #Feminist activism, championed particularly by #Women students, has been key to the Octobrist Movement since the very beginning. We must never forget the powerful #Women, #Girls, and all #GenderMarginalised people who have long stood at the front lines of activist movements, from the 1970s to today, to beyond.
#WeAreManushyan ♾️EqualHumanBeings
The work of the Octobrists has, and will continue, to inspire Thai activism to this day, and Thais will continue to honour all the Octobrists who put their livelihoods at risk to fight for the freedoms we enjoy today. Nevertheless, we must not forget that many of the struggles from the 1970s still persist today, such as gender inequality, capitalism, as well as injustice against farmers and workers. Let’s keep the Octobrist spirit alive by remembering that the fight is not yet over!
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