Nearly fifty years on, the 6 October 1976 Thammasat University Massacre is no longer a denied chapter of history.

“Regarding the memory of October 6, I would not say it is pessimistic. On the contrary, it has accomplished a lot,” said Professor Thongchai Winichakul, historian and author of Moments of Silence:The Unforgetting of the October 6, 1976, Massacre in Bangkok, 49 years after the incident took place at the campus where he once studied.

Compared to the first twenty years of near-total silence after the Massacre, Thongchai observed significant improvement in the last thirty years. Now, what concerns him more is how the memory can move beyond recognition toward justice. 

The leap of memory

Professor Thongchai Winichakul

As a survivor, Thongchai initiated the first commemoration of the Massacre in 1996, and twenty years later, a new way of voicing and confronting this history emerged.

Founded in 2016, the Documentation of October 6 (Doct6) project was formed by Thongchai and several members of the “October Generation” – a term referring to participants in the protests of October 1973 and 1976, many of whom became academics, activists, and politicians.  It took more than three years to build the website’s infrastructure, organise archival materials, and manage its operations.

The platform functions as a digital repository of diverse evidence: from news photographs, official autopsy reports, and court transcripts to video clips of victims' testimonies.

“Most of the time, people contact us about using the materials,” Thongchai explained. They usually agree, as long as the source is acknowledged and credit was given. 

This was essentially the full extent of what the small group accomplished during its first four years of operation. But then, in 2020 a new youth movement erupted, bringing Doct6 into the spotlight.

To Thongchai, Doct6 accomplished its goal after the basics were done but the 2020 youth movement played a decisive role in reinvigorating the memory of the Massacre. “The tragedy helped the success of Doct6 … many people came to access the site and learn from it.” In his opinion, the events of 6 October affected, and further opened the eyes of the younger generations about Thai politics. 

They not only collectively criticised the establishment but also started talking about the need to reform the entire political structure - a development that far exceeded Thongchai’s expectation.

It was a process of mutual illumination. If it wasn’t for the 2020 youth movement, Thongchai believes, the commemoration would have remained a minor event. But in recent years, media reports on the commemoration have become more common and it has expanded to include new activities like theatrical performances, giving rise to greater public discussion. 

Thongchai notes that traffic to the website rises sharply every year around 6 October. During other key commemorative moments, it sometimes exceeds 50,000 visits. Nonetheless, the project has struggled to gain recognition from authorities and formal institutions.

He also acknowledges that in recent years the operation has entered a period of stagnation. With the lack of financial support and its founding members wearing multiple hats, responsibility for operating the website has been gradually handed to others. 

The Uncrossable Line from Consensus to Accountability 

Thongchai has mixed feelings about where things now stand.  On the plus side, “society recognises that the incident happened, and that we should prevent it from occurring again.” The silence has been broken and “state authorities can no longer completely suppress the memory.” 

Public commemorations are more visible and educational institutions, particularly Thammasat University, have become increasingly involved in the process. Thongchai acknowledges that his alma mater has gone as far as it can to provide support and facilitate annual commemorative activities.  

He feels that this is still not enough, however - that beyond commemoration there is still a need for justice for the dead and for their families. 

For Thongchai, injustice in the case stems from impunity.  Doct6 focusses heavily on it, playing a meaningful role in opening up public discussions of historical state violence, in 1976 and more recently, in Black May 1992 and in the 2010 Red Shirt crackdowns.

Recognising the continues is a part of preventing society from repeating the same mistakes. “The fact that people can now openly talk about impunity, and name it as a problem, is itself meaningful,” he said. 

The memory of 6 October has never been only about the past. It continues to shape how the state relates to violence, responsibility, and dissent in the present. Silence has been broken, yet justice is still a long way off.  Things now, Thongchai feels, are at an impasse. 

The commemoration of the 49th anniversary of 6 October Massacre at Thammasat University

Living on with injustice

In Thongchai’s view, transitional justice is not something that comes after regime change. It is part of the process itself. 

“In Thailand’s context, the establishment is still in control.” To Thongchai, a regime change would unlock the possibility of transitional justice. “It doesn’t have to be complete overall, but it must involve a shift from authoritarian rule towards democracy, and at least allow it to take place.”

As the most basic steps have yet to be taken, discussions about healing or reconciliation remain difficult.

Lots of people he met recently shared the concern that the current situation is worse than it was twenty years ago. Thongchai remains ambivalent. “There are some gains, some losses, some forward and some backward.” The situation goes back and forth, he explained, there is no formula, either in reality or in academics.

At the individual level, Thongchai notes, people cope with trauma in profoundly different ways. Some are able to move on, others remain angry, some seek revenge, while others choose silence. “None of these responses can be generalised. Individuals and families respond according to their own circumstances, and there is no single pattern.”

As an academic, however, Thongchai focuses primarily on the societal level. His work traces how memory functions collectively, examining how society, institutions, and the state deal with the past. 

In this dimension, similarities emerge. “Society recognises injustice but still lives on.” Thongchai points out that every society carries unresolved injustices. Some achieve resolution but don’t necessarily get rid of authoritarianism.

He notes that most injustices in world history have passed without proper recognition or justice.

“Slavery in the United States took hundreds of years to be seriously revisited, and even then, recognition was incomplete and delayed. Colonial violence remains largely unacknowledged in many places.” Like it or not, Thongchai said, it is normal. 

In the long term, Thongchai thinks it is possible that this impasse will still exist after the October generation has passed away. “Memory may fade, or the narrative frame may shift toward a right-wing, military, or state-centred interpretation.” He hopes this won't happen but can’t predict what lies ahead.

Torches and new questions for the future 

2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Doc6’s establishment. Looking back, Thongchai notes that some of the site’s work is not finished yet.  

As for tracking down the relatives of victims, roughly one third on the list could not be located and another third were found but declined to be interviewed. As publishing involved additional work, Thongchai adds that not all of the interviews were uploaded to the website. 

The team used to be ambitious in collecting academic writings, articles, literature, films, and other cultural works related to 6 October. Over time, however, they realised that the task of requesting permission to reprint each item was enormous. 

People trying to set up a museum project for 6 October also reached out to Doct6 for participation. Due to financial constraints, however, the team’s role was limited to encouragement and allowing unrestricted use of materials from the Doct6 project. 

Thongchai adds that as setting up a museum requires significant support from the state and institutions, the idea stalled because of establishment resistance.

Deep down, Thongchai still hopes people are willing to do more. 

Reflecting on what the 2020 movement brought forth, he describes such actions as a torch, shedding new light on a troubled history. He believes the fragmented history of the Doct6 website is a solid beginning but can think of similar memorials in other countries that are more comprehensive.

Now, Thongchai believes it is time for the next step to be taken by others.

He says that the older generation has deliberately withdrawn in the past two years, with the intention of allowing the younger generation to inherit the memory and utilise it in their own way. 

“As you are not going to live long, do you want to monopolise memory?” Thongchai questioned. He pointed out that the memories of those who fail to pass them on often vanish once they pass away.

Dynamism is crucial, he insisted, even if younger generations make mistakes or interpret the past differently, that is the way memory goes. 

“I hope people do more research, raise more questions, and carry out more activities to keep the memory of 6 October alive.” 

Thongchai believes that it is a positive development when societies find opportunities to revisit the past, recognise wrongdoing, and offer justice to victims.  

“If a transition really takes place, will people revisit 6 October ? I don't know. I hope so, but let's find out in the future.”