: ‘I Think Our Goal Is Worthy for Everyone in Thailand.’ Meet the Lawyer Trying to Reform the Thai Monarchy #WorldNEWS The stage at the “Harry Potter vs He Who Must Not Be Named” protest

‘I Think Our Goal Is Worthy for Everyone in Thailand.’ Meet the Lawyer Trying to Reform the Thai Monarchy #WorldNEWS
The stage at the “Harry Potter vs He Who Must Not Be Named” protest in Bangkok on Aug. 3 was decorated with images of the franchise’s villain, Lord Voldemort. The framed pictures were a not-so-subtle allusion to the portraits of Thailand’s king that typically festoon public spaces. As he prepared to address the crowd in a Harry Potter costume, 36-year-old human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa swapped his wand for a microphone and made the comparison explicit, shattering taboos around the country’s most hallowed institution.
“We seriously need to discuss the monarchys role in Thai politics,” he said.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek setup, the subject — and the risks involved — could not have been more serious. Thailand’s powerful sovereign is normally shielded by some of the world’s harshest royal defamation laws. A lèse majesté charge can mean a 15-year prison sentence under a law wielded as a tool of broader repression — “political weaponry in the guise of a legal system,” as Jakrapob Penkair, a former minister to the prime minister’s office, described it.

From the outset, the mostly student-led protests that have beset the country since July 18 have made veiled references to Thailand’s royalty through metaphors and jokes. “The People’s Party Isn’t Dead,” one early banner read, a reference to the political party that ended absolute monarchy in the 1932 revolution. Other placards drily asked about the weather in Germany, where the current king and his harem reportedly spend much of their time.
But Arnon was the first at the protests to stand up and articulate what has now become the movement’s most incendiary demand: curbing the palace’s powers. In 30 minutes, he defied pervasive self-censorship and helped launch an ongoing, public debate about the king.
Officially, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, with the king considered above politics. But throughout decades of political upheaval, the royal institution has wielded tremendous influence.

LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA—AFP/Getty Images A protester holds up a three-finger salute at a rally in Bangkok on Aug. 16, 2020.
“People are sick and tired of living under a repressive regime, Arnon tells TIME via a video call from Bangkok.
The 36-year-old has certainly lit a fuse. He has sparked an important discussion in our society, says Nuttaa Mahattana, a prominent activist.
In Arnons wake, a faction of students followed up with a 10-point manifesto calling for the pruning of the national budget allocated to King Maha Vajiralongkorn, estimated to be one of the worlds richest monarchs.