Umbrellas as shields, secure chat groups and hand signals as warnings of a pending police crackdown -- Thailand's pro-democracy protesters have taken inspiration and lessons from their counterparts in Hong Kong.

Images from Bangkok over the weekend of activists in hard hats, goggles and gas masks facing off against the police were strongly reminiscent of the methods used last year by Hong Kong protesters.

And to counter a more forceful crackdown by the police, Thai activists have also mimicked Hong Kong's flashmob rallies and guerrilla, "be water" tactics -- a philosophy attributed to martial arts hero Bruce Lee.

"Now we're like a fast-moving current that's ready to change direction at any minute," said Panumas "James" Singprom, co-founder of Free Youth, one of the Thai movement's main groups.

"The state has pressured us to adapt fast."

Thai protesters have defied warnings and gathering bans to sustain their movement, which has drawn tens of thousands to the streets in recent months, demanding reforms to the government and the powerful monarchy.

And to avoid surveillance and arrests, like their Hong Kong counterparts, they have relied on encrypted messaging services such as Telegram to coordinate protests -- only receiving the planned locations an hour before each rally.

While the Thai movement has seen some prominent faces emerge, ongoing arrests have forced protesters to replicate another Hong Kong movement feature -- organising with no obvious leaders, and using hashtags to spread their message.

The majority turning up for the daily protests are "self-organised", said James.

- 'Milk Tea Alliance' -

The camaraderie between Hong Kong and Thailand protesters was on display in Bangkok on Sunday, with demonstrators chanting "return independence to Hong Kong, while raising mobile flashlights to the night sky.

And much like the sea of raised hands in Hong Kong -- signifying the protesters' five demands -- Thai rallies have seen waves of three-finger salutes borrowed from the Hunger Games movies.

Advice and support have poured in from young activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan -- dubbed the "Milk Tea Alliance" on social media because of the popularity of the drink in all three places.

As images of Thai police using water cannon on unarmed protesters went viral, Hong Kong activists shared tips on how to handle such a situation.

One Hong Kong Twitter user named Crystaljel recommended using umbrellas as shields and carrying saline water, and added: "Make good use of your talent and courage."

The so-called "umbrella formation" ubiquitous during the Hong Kong protests was employed Friday night in Bangkok's central shopping district.

Passing dozens of colourful umbrellas to those on the frontline, they attempted to create a human defence wall as riot police bore down on them.

Protesters also formed human chains during the Sunday protest to pass messages and supplies -- including hard hats, goggles and water -- to those lacking protection.

This "telephone" system also enabled dense crowds to part quickly for ambulances trying to reach nearby hospitals.

Hand signals borrowed from creative Hong Kongers were also on display as young Thais practised crossing their arms to denote impending danger.

- 'More coups than meals' -

Much like the so-called "braves" in Hong Kong, Thailand also saw groups of self-appointed frontline protesters over the weekend, who moved forward in the crowd when rumours emerged of a crackdown.

"I want to do more than just participate in the protest," said a 23-year-old university student, asking not to be named.

"This is the time to step up and protect our friends."

Despite the similarities, however, Hong Kong has not seen deadly state crackdowns of the kind Thailand has witnessed in the past against democracy movements.

One user on Hong Kong's Reddit-like forum, LIHKG, quipped it was unnecessary for Hong Kong to teach Thais how to protest.

"They had more coups than you've had meals," he wrote.

"When they used grenades in 2014, you were still singing protest songs."

Young and restless: Protest parallels in Thailand and Hong Kong
Bangkok (AFP) Oct 20, 2020 - Hong Kong and Thailand have both seen their streets filled with protesters daring to take on an entrenched political elite, and to discuss once-taboo subjects in their push for greater freedoms.

Voranai Vanijaka, a political analyst at Bangkok's Thammasat University, said tech-savvy youths in both territories have "shared cultural values".

"(It's) the love for freedom and the courage to fight for change," he told AFP.

Here are five similarities:

- Taking on powerful targets -

Both movements are primarily motivated by inequality and democracy, but in pushing for a greater say in how their fates are forged they are taking on formidable foes resistant to change.

For Hong Kong, it is the Chinese Communist Party, which crushes dissent on the mainland and has increased control over the restless semi-autonomous city.

Beijing has rejected calls for greater democracy and police accountability, and has since blanketed the finance hub in a national security law that has, for now, snuffed out mass dissent.

In Thailand, it is the monarchy -- backed by the powerful, coup-prone military -- that sits at the apex of the political pyramid.

For now, it is unclear how the palace will react to the Thai protests, but in previous periods of turbulence it has played a pivotal role in deciding the outcome.

- Rule of law or rule by law? -

The way authorities use the law has been a key catalyst.

The initial spark in Hong Kong was an eventually aborted attempt to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland's party-controlled courts.

The protest movement then morphed into a wider push for universal suffrage and opposition to Beijing's rule.

In Thailand, the kingdom's draconian lese majeste law -- which shields the monarchy from criticism -- has been a crucial component of calls for reform, as well as prosecutions under broadly-worded sedition and cybercrime laws.

Multiple critics of the Thai monarchy have also disappeared, with Human Rights Watch recording at least nine cases involving activists overseas.

The current round of protests came after activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit was allegedly kidnapped in Cambodia in June. He hasn't been seen since.

- Youth-led -

Young people are at the heart of calls for reform.

Hong Kong's huge rallies represented a broad swathe of society, from students to lawyers, bus drivers, civil servants and teachers.

But the frontline activists -- and those embracing increasingly violent tactics -- were overwhelmingly young. Many face prosecution and years in jail.

Some of Hong Kong's most visible activists, such as Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, were teenagers when they first got involved in politics.

Thailand's protest leaders -- most of whom have been arrested in the last week -- are in their early twenties and are similarly more willing to embrace confrontational tactics than older generations.

- Taboos shattered -

Taboo topics have been thrust centre stage.

In Hong Kong, young activists were far more willing to embrace the idea of autonomy and even outright independence from China -- a concept that remains a red line for Beijing.

As the protests dragged and authorities refused major concessions, chants and flags declaring "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" became commonplace.

In Thailand, even talking about the concept of reforming the monarchy is enough to land someone in jail.

But people have begun to lose that fear.

Young activists have given speeches for the lese majeste law to be abolished and called for the king's huge personal wealth -- estimated to be some $60 billion -- to have a clear division of assets between public and personal.

- Protest tactics -

Thai protesters donned hard hats, goggles, gas masks and umbrellas against water cannon over the weekend in images that could have come straight out of Hong Kong last year.

Young activists in both places have also swapped tactics online and offered messages of support.

Both movements are using encrypted social messaging platforms to mobilise, and have opted for flashmob rallies -- especially since authorities arrested key leaders.

Hand symbols have also taken centre stage.

In Hong Kong, a raised palm symbolises the "Five demands, not one less" slogan.

Thais meanwhile have embraced a three-finger salute from the dystopian "Hunger Games" movies.

Analyst Voranai said Thai protesters are currently "much less radical than their Hong Kong counterparts".

"But at the core, it's the same: freedom."

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

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