Thai netizens have been spam tagging the Instagram accounts of Thai idols in the hopes that they will speak up about what is happening in Thailand right now.
They have been tagging many big-name Thai idols, including BLACKPINK's Lisa, WayV's Ten, 2PM's Nichkhun, CLC's Sorn, GOT7's Bambam, and BonBon Girls 303's Nene. Thai netizens have been tagging them in screenshots of Thai news, infographics on what is happening in Thailand at the moment, as well as QR codes that when scanned, leads them to a website in which they can learn about what is happening in Thailand.
For those who do not know what is happening in Thailand, the citizens of the country have been forced to live under the control of a jungta government, also known as a military dictatorship or Martial Law, since May 2014. For six long years, the people of Thailand have been forced to stay silent due to the military government exercising extreme and incontestable state power. The jungta government has dismantled the government, including the Senate, the lower house of parliament, the constitution, and the judiciary.
In 2017, the jungta drafted and enacted a new constitution that allows authoritarianism and abuse of power, while the citizens of Thailand lose their liberty and basic human rights.
The Thai youths are standing up for themselves, refusing to tolerate the cruelty they endured any longer. However, speaking up against the regime in Thailand can cause people their lives. Some activists and students who have voiced their opinions on the jungta have faced their consequences - some were threatened or attacked, while some mysteriously disappeared.
Some have said that they will also go after the people you love if you speak up against the jungta. With this, people's freedom of speech and expression were stolen by the jungta. Instead, the current military government had enforced media censorship and have banned public gatherings.
Thai netizens have started spamming Thai idols since they believe that since they are out of the country, they will most likely not have to suffer the consequences of using their voice. Other people that they will most likely not be touched since they are not only celebrities in Thailand but around the world as well.
Others believe that Thai celebrities should be using their voice so that the world is aware of what is happening in Thailand, causing others to speak up on the issues as well.
The Thai idols mentioned have not responded to the spam and have not voiced their stance on what is happening in Thailand. Some people believe that they will never voice their opinions on the situation in Thailand due to their entertainment companies; since it has the potential to cause their artist a scandal, they will most likely stop them from releasing any form of a statement. Some people have referenced TWICE's Tzuyu's flag incident; despite how small her action was, it caused tensions between Taiwan and China, which led to immense backlash. With that causing such controversy, people can't even imagine how it will be if they speak up against the government.
Additionally, even if they cannot target the idols themselves since they are abroad, they could possibly hurt their families back in Thailand. On top of that, it is illegal to talk bad about the Thai government and monarchy.
Do you think the Thai idols should speak up?
