Pro-democracy netizens call for boycott of silent celebrities
Angry Thai netizens are calling for a boycott of Thai stars and idols who have stayed silent about the pro-democracy movement.
The rally on September 19-20, organised by United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group, was a huge success, attended by tens of thousands of people from across the country, with active participation by Thai netizens.
The rally ended on Sunday morning, but people on social media continued to discuss and share information. They especially targeted famous artists, and manufacturers of products, who did not voice support for democracy.
Pro-democracy netizens have been campaigning to ban products linked with capitalism or actors who did not show support for democracy,
including blacklisting actors who had once joined the People's Democratic Reform Committee protest against the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
The lastest movement is to ban Thai idols of the K-pop industry with the hashtag #แบนแทกุกไลน์ (ban Thai idol well-known to Korean people) or #แบนไอดอลคนไทยในเกาหลี (ban Thai Idols in South Korea) on Twitter. Many netizens said they have "unfollowed" their favourites and would stop patronising them because of their silence.