Photos: Ginger Cat

To commemorate the 49^th anniversary of the 6 October 1976 Thammasat University Massacre, students, politicians, activists, and members of the public gather at Thammasat University on Monday (6 October) for a day of memorial events.

The programme of the day included a memorial event in the morning, speeches, performances, a panel discussion, exhibitions, and a walking tour through the campus, ending with a candlelit vigil for victims of the massacre.

During the event, the Thammasat University Student Council announced that it has awarded the 2025 Jarupong Thongsin Award to Anchan Preelert, who was recently released from prison after years of detention on a royal defamation charge.

The 69-year-old former civil servant was sentenced to 87 years in prison on 29 counts of royal defamation charges for sharing and uploading on social media clips on an online talk show that allegedly made defamatory comments about the monarchy. Her sentence was later halved to 43 years and 6 months because she pleaded guilty. Her sentence was at the time the longest ever given for an offence under the royal defamation law.

Anchan was first arrested in January 2015, denied bail, and detained pending trial until November 2018. After her sentencing in January 2021, she was denied bail and later decided not to appeal. When she was released on 27 August 2025, Anchan had spent a total of 8 years, 4 months, and 19 days in prison.

Anchan said she is honoured to be given the award. She described herself in her acceptance speech that she is an ordinary woman who wants democracy and justice, and said that she had to be imprisoned because her beliefs were different. She said that the penalty she was given was as if she had killed someone, but she persevered. She thanked young people for their encouragement and the organizations that supported her during her imprisonment, noting that she had one family member who only visited once in a while and that most of her visitors were young people. She hopes to live to see through democracy in Thailand, and said that young people should not give up on the fight for democracy because it will happen someday.

The award was named after Jarupong Thongsin, a Thammasat University student who was killed during the Thammasat University Massacre. Jarupong was reportedly last seen on the morning of 6 October 1976 in front of the Faculty of Law building running to help other students after going to warn students still remaining in the Student Activities building and telling them to run. He was also said to have stayed behind to make sure that everyone had left.

The Jarupong Thongsin Award honours those who fight for democracy. Previous recipients included human rights lawyer Anon Nampa and student activists Panupong Jadnok and Parit Chiwarak, all of whom were leaders of the 2020 – 2021 pro-democracy movement.

Flowers placed around the 6 October Massacre Memorial Sculpture at Thammasat University on Monday morning, including wreaths sent by political parties, civil society organizations, student organizations, as well as one by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. 

Natthapong Ruengpanyawut (third from right), leader of the main opposition People's Party, attended the memorial event along with several of the party's prominent MPs, and brought flowers for the memorial. Former Future Forward MP Pannika Wanich and former Move Forward Party leader Chaitawat Tulathon also attended, bringing a wreath from the Progressive Movement Foundation, an organization founded by Future Forward Party leaders now banned from politics after the dissolution of their party.

Anchan Preelert (First from left) posing for a photo with representatives of the Thammasat University Student Council and a relative of Jarupong Thongsin after receiving her award. Previously detained for royal defamation, Anchan is the oldest woman ever detained on charges relating to political expression and has spent the longest time in prison.

Pictures of political prisoners were displayed on the way in front of the main auditorium. At least 57 people are now detained on charges relating to political expression, 30 of whom are detained for royal defamation.

Participants in the walking tour carrying the Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger flag from the animation One Piece. The flag is now used as a protest symbol in several countries.

Some attendants during the night's events held up pictures of Anon Nampa, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, and Attapol Buapat, all of whom are detained for royal defamation. One attendant (right) held a picture of activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, who died on 14 May 2024 after a long hunger strike while detained at the Corrections Hospital.

Candles were placed in front of the the 6 October Massacre Memorial Sculpture during the vigil at the end of the night.

Candles were placed in front of the the 6 October Massacre Memorial Sculpture during the vigil at the end of the night.