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It’s off to school with the Alliance
Daily Xpress Tuesday, July 1, 2008
By Nattha Bikkhunthot
Published on Jul 1, 2008
More than 1,000 students register at the People’s Alliance for Democracy school set up behind their rally stage
The People’s Alliance for Democracy has started an evening school for children and youth.
It is called the Makkhawan Rangsan Demonstration School, after the site of the weeks-long PAD rally. The school follows the starting of Rajdamnoen University.
The school is behind the PAD stage. It’s open each day between 7pm and midnight until the protest ends.
More than 1,000 students are registered.
• Exchanging political ideas
Saengtham Chumchadatarn, 26, set up the school. He says it’s a place for young people to exchange political ideas. It’s unique in that it’s open to students of all ages, even as young as four.
The younger pupils can participate in fun activities with a political theme. One of the most popular is drawing ousted PM Thaksin Shinawa-tra, with his “square face”.
The older children engage in public speaking and stage political farce and concerts to entertain the protest.
• Letter to police boss
The students have written to Metropolitan Police commander Lt-General Asawin Kwanmuang saying he has a “negative attitude towards them”.
Saengtham is a son of former Sakon Nakhon senator Maleerat Kaew-ka, a regular speaker at the protest. He has a post-graduate degree from Thammasat University.
Another student of that school, Piyanat Wongthet, attends the PAD school and says it’s a place where children can come while their parents are at the rally. They can exchange ideas. Some children attend even if their folks are not attending demonstrations.
The school is letting people know all about itself at demo-crazy.com. There has been a good response, school staff say.
One visitor to the site called “Dek Rian” posted this message: “Why can’t the country administrators see what’s right and what’s wrong? I am just 16 years old, but I can see what they are doing now will be bad for me in the future.”
Udon Thani policewoman Nina Ounkaew, 44, sends her 12-year-old son to the school. She says he’s “learning from real life” and not just textbooks. “I believe the school will teach him to think and do things by himself, be courageous enough to express opinions and learn to live with others,” she says.
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