The movie V for Vendetta made the stylized face of Guy Fawkes an international symbol of resistance embraced by hackers and anti-government protesters globally. After the hacking of the Office of the Prime Minister’s website, the mask went viral here, too, first on social media, then on the streets. On May 31, BK spoke to Wuttipat Krasaesinth, 44, who was protesting with a group of some 50 people protesting against the government on Silom Road.
Why are you here today?
To show that there are some people who are upset about this government, which is led by an incompetent prime minister. There is corruption, injustice and they take advantage of good people. Our ultimate objective is to have the Thai parliament replaced.
Is the mask because you’re afraid of people knowing who you are?
I’m not afraid of anything. My name is Wuttipat Krasaesinth, the same name as my Facebook account. I am a Bangkokian, a Thai, and I work in a car firm.
Why use the Guy Fawkes mask?
It’s a universal symbol of the fight against autocrats and those in power who oppress their citizens. There was a movie called V for Vendetta that came out years ago. According to the movie, Fawkes was a freedom fighter who was tired of the government as it oppressed farmers, laborers and citizens. So he put on the mask and protested against the government. The parliament in that movie was similar to ours right now. The ‘V-mask’ is a global symbol now. If the governments of the world governed fairly, there would be no protests. This gathering is meant to tell the world that our government is unable to govern.
Are you a Yellow Shirt? Who makes up your group?
Me, yes. Previously, some of us were yellow shirts, multi-colored shirts, and some also Democratic Party supporters. We come from numerous groups but we have the same goal, to overthrow this government.
What makes you different from other protesters?
We just try to express our opinions about society peacefully. We are not hooligans. We are employed—actually, everyone here has a pretty high salary. All of the masks, we bought ourselves. No one paid us to be here. We don’t tap into the city’s electricity. We don’t block roads. We don’t set anything on fire. We’re here to wake Bankokians up from the spell that they’re under, without any violence.
Are there no other means of expression for you?
Not really. The mass media is too scared to criticize the government or red shirts so they don’t give us coverage. Facebook is easy to access from anywhere in the country. But if you change your profile picture to the V-mask, you’ll be blocked for two days. This happened to some people here.
