Amnesty protest reaches Golden Gate
A THAI FACEBOOK user named LaBoom SF, who has lived in San Francisco for over 12 years, has posted a photograph of herself on Facebook standing on the city's Golden Gate Bridge wearing Thai traditional dress, sporting a sword in one hand and holding a si
She said the aim of the photo was to leave the world in no doubt as to where she stood.
“I have never joined any political movement before. This is the first time I felt compelled to make my voice heard. When I saw people in Thailand sharing the sign ‘no amnesty bill’, I had to make it resonate, but in my own way,” said Boom.
As a costume-maker, she dresses up in costumes for all occasions. This time she chose a costume she felt helped to get her point across – a Bang Rachan warrior, which she said reflected her fighting spirit. In Thai history, Bang Rachan warriors were renowned for putting up a last stand against the invading Burmese. “I could have taken a photo of myself holding the sign in my house but then no one would really give it a second look. This photo was bound to draw attention without any explanation,” said Boom.
In producing the photo, Boom had in mind a number of points she wanted to get across – that she is a Thai citizen living abroad, is against the amnesty bill, and is ready to fight with other protesters to get it annulled. Her costume, the Golden Gate Bridge, the anti-amnesty bill sign, and her fierce demeanour in the photograph are all part of making her statement.
“I wanted to depict that it doesn’t matter who you are, you just need to step out, show your spirit, and fight together for your country. We can make a difference,” said Boom.
“On the day the photo was taken [on November 4], I had to cover myself up with my jacket, because it was really windy on the bridge. I went by myself and set the camera on a tripod and took a lot of self-portraits until I found one that I liked. There were a lot of tourists who stopped by and read the sign and took photos of me,” said Boom.
“I didn’t really expect my photo to become such a hit over night, but I don’t mind people sharing it. I don’t particularly want to be famous, I just want to get my message across. You don’t need to know my name but you need to know that there are a lot of Thais out there who are concerned about their country,” said Boom.
RELATED