A rally was held on Tuesday to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the student uprising and violent government crackdown at Thammasat University in 1976.
Former student leaders and opposition politicians dominated the Tuesdays’ event at the campus where the massacre unfolded 44 years ago. They recalled political instability and warned about the risks of reoccurrence if people’s freedom is suppressed.
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While facing communist insurgency in the 1970’s, conflicts between socialist and conservative camps led Thailand to one of the darkest days in history.
When it was reported that military dictators ousted by student movement in 1973 had returned from exile to Thailand, thousands of protesters marched to Thammasat University’s football field and camped there overnight.
The protests gathered pace with demand for greater freedom and a more just society in a time of political instability and faltering economy. On October 6, 1976, security forces and right-wing extremists stormed the university; the official death toll was 46 while many believed more than 100 were killed. (TNA)
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