A 26-year-old man staged a solo protest on 11 April at a military conscription centre in Sa Kaeo’s Wang Nam Yen district against compulsory military conscription in Thailand.

The man (full name withheld) taped pieces of masking tape to his t-shirt with the messages “Abolish military conscription” and “Stop violating people’s rights” and stood in front of the military conscription centre.

He told Prachatai that, at 26 years old and having left university, he can no longer postpone his military service. In an act of civil disobedience, he wore the t-shirt and went to the conscription centre and will not be reporting for the draft to protest against compulsory military conscription.

He said that some military officers saw him standing in front of the centre, but they did not stop him or ask questions.

The 26-year-old said that he wanted to protect his rights and the rights of others who may also be against conscription but cannot act due to the risks they might face. He noted that being conscripted disrupt a person’s life. People with a degree in technology might find that their knowledge had become outdated after 2 years of military service. Some might lose their jobs, or be unable to get a new position after they were discharged. Others might get stuck assisting a senior officer if they are good with computers.

He said that he is prepared to be charged for draft evasion, and knew that the worst outcome is that he will go to prison or being drafted anyway. However, he said he believes this is a good time to take the risk as a bill abolishing the draft is being proposed to parliament. It would be worth it, he said, if his action sparks some conversation about conscription.