It has been a tumultuous week for TV political talk show host Pinyo Trisuriyadhamma. His intention of bringing the sensitive discussion on the constitutional monarchy to the open realm of rational public debate landed him in hot water. The last instalment of the five-part TV series was first cancelled after a protest by a group of royalists, and was aired three days later amid divisions in public opinion which also hurt the credibility of Thai PBS.
What followed showed that the discussion about the monarchy in Thailand remains politically explosive and that media self-censorship is still the norm. Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha made clear his dissatisfaction with the programme, declaring anyone who wants to question the monarchy should leave the country.
The police are now investigating if people involved in the Tob Jote TV show broke the lese majeste law.
Breaking his silence, Pinyo chose to answer the newshounds about how he feels about the situation with a poem as follows:
For one man, burn the whole building,
chase and burn that man in hate.
Burn one pigeon as an offering.
One sole wish: to topple the state.
Cruelly scheme, agenda hidden,
His name used as a killing tool.
Who loves him: for real, or to fool?
- asks Tob Jote Thailand, hence.
We light the fire to spark insight.
Ignorance blows it out and slander,
crushes, pushes, shoves with all its might.
Or is this Thailand's answer?
Dead while alive, yet still hunted, chased.
Shameful Thailand has no brave ones.
If you don't stand up to fight ignorance,
from now on don't ever raise your head.
Sitting still, I hear a news anchor say
that last night a small pigeon
was shot at every which way,
in the midst of Thailand's conflict, fallen.
Pinyo Trisuriyadhamma
Translated by Sarinee Achavanuntakul