0		Student, Federation, Thailand

IPS is the first to note the involvement of student groups:

The first salvo has been fired by the Student Federation of Thailand (SFT), a network of over 10 universities in Thailand that has history of activism in the country’s political movements going back many decades.

The SFT is supporting the call by the red shirts for the Abhisit government to resign and hold fresh elections so that the country gets a "people’s government." It also wants the emergency laws repealed.

"Until now the student movement had been silent and did not come out in support of the red shirts. But that silence has ended because the government used emergency laws to send in soldiers to crack down on the protesters," says Suluck Lamubol, a member of the SFT’s executive committee and an undergraduate studying history. "The government must be held accountable for what happened."

"Others have also started to speak out because the military didn’t hesitate to use force to protect this government," Suluck told IPS. "This government seems to be afraid of the people."

BP: Thai newspapers report that the SFT have said that they have been given information that up to 60 people may have died, but there is no supporting evidence. Therefore, they have set up a centre to receive information and complaints. In reponse Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn said that the parents of two SFT members were children of prisoners/detainess so wants people to evaluate the information. He said it was unlikely an independent committee would be set up to investigate.

The SFT played an important role in 1973 and 1976, but it seems unlikely they will return to such heights. Nevertheless, they may provide an alternative to those who want to avoid the Thaksin connection.