What is civil disobedience?
Democrat rally leader Suthep Thuagsuban last night called for the people to use "civil disobedience" in their fight against the Yingluck government and it's controversial blanket amnesty bill That bill was voted down by the Senate yesterday, but it can technically be revived in 180 days.
According to Wikipedia, "civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance In one view (in India, known as ahimsa or satyagraha) it could be said that it is compassion in the form of respectful disagreement "
Certainly declaring a public area like Democracy Monument and Ratchadamnoen Avenue as your protest base must be an act of civil disobedience especially since the area is within the boundaries covered by the government's Internal Security Act (ISA) where large gatherings are not allowed.
Here, from this morning's Bangkok Post, is a description of four measures Mr Suthep called for at last night's rally Which of them seem to be clear examples of civil disobedience?
Mr Suthep said protest leaders had agreed they will escalate their demonstrations by urging civil disobedience nationwide including four measures
He urged employees at private companies and government officials to stop working between tomorrow and Friday and join the demonstrations at the protest venues
venues
Meaning: a place where a public event or meeting takes place
Thai Translation: สถานที่ชุมนุม
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in their respective provinces, or at least to slow down the pace of their work.
He also called on teachers to cancel classes and students not to attend them at schools and universities nationwide during the three-day period.
Mr Suthep asked private companies to delay paying taxes and for companies to fly national flags at their offices, and for people to carry national flags and whistles wherever they go in a symbolic fight against the government.
As for the fourth measure Mr Suthep said that if people meet Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, her cabinet ministers and their "sidekicks" , they must refuse to talk to them and blow their whistles at them instead.