Divided Virtual Politics: Micro-Counter Transcripts in Thailand

摘要

Mass demonstrations known as "Rally politics" has been mobilized in Thailand for over a decade since the 2006 coup. It has deeply shaped and divided the country for many years. Two main coalitions, PAD (Anti-Thaksin) and UDD (Pro-Thaksin), utilize yellow and red T-shirts respectively to mobilize and campaign. Both camps staged protests on streets and organized media, TV and radio to peddle their agenda. Each camp has a legion of followers that watch what goes on in real time, day and night, for months as if it were a reality TV show. While medias captured footages of the street protests to audiences who followed the progress with great interests, the streets itself became a place of confrontation and increasing conflicts. On the other hand, new media has changed protesting on many levels, whereby active resistance can now generate content that communicate their own messages, and thus shape perspectives and stories that align with their respective agenda and visions. In other words, divided virtual politics mediatized online instead of mass rallies on the streets. Particularly, under the authoritarian military government, new media has assisted individual self-initiated resistance or small groups to counter virtually instead of mass mobilization. They create hidden transcripts in public and online medias such as selfies, short clips, social media posts, click support, as well as performances including the following activities: wearing masks, raising three-finger salutes, uploading clips, reading controversial books in public, etc. Thus, even though Thai virtual politics is still very much divided, confrontation and violence has not increased. New media transforms mass mobilization to disappear and give birth to a new self-initiated micro-counter public and hidden transcripts instead.