A group of students at Chiang Mai University staged a protest inside the campus to call for the lifting of the Emergency Decree.  Photos of them gagging themselves with tape and dispalying protest signs have been forwarded through activists’ emails and social networking websites.

The activity took place on 17 June at the student union canteen in the university.

The students put signs on their backs with messages such as, ‘I love peace. Please lift the decree’, ‘End decree = End violence’, ‘Scrap it. It’s a shame’, ‘Calm doesn’t mean peace’, etc. They also put tape over their mouths, with the word ‘decree’ crossed out.

They gathered at the canteen, walked to a nearby classroom building, and went back to the canteen.  They ordered lunch by writing to communicate with the vendors.

A science student among the protesters told Prachatai on 23 June that they did it to show their opposition and they thought that society should not have been suppressed by the decree, and talks should be a better solution.

Chiang Mai is among 24 provinces where the Emergency Decree and has been imposed since 14 May.