Announcement: 27.02.2026 – Online Lecture by Bancharat Polpila: "The Role of Gen Z in the October 6 Commemoration between 2018–2025"

27. Februar 2026, 14:00 Uhr, von AAI Webmaster

Foto: Bancharat Polpila, cropped

We kindly invite you to this online lecture in English language on Friday, February 27th, 2026, at 14:00–16:00 h (CET/MEZ).

Topic:
    "The Role of Gen Z in the October 6 Commemoration between 2018–2025"

Speaker:
    Bancharat Polpila (MA)

Affiliation:
    University of Passau

Date/Time:
    February 27^th, 2026 (Friday), 14:00 – 16:00 (CET/MEZ)

Language:
    English

Zoom Link:
    https://uni-hamburg.zoom.us/j/64563521222?pwd=OEdSbENCOUV2Ynl5ZUdnNG5mM1pwQT09

Zoom Meeting-ID:
    645 6352 1222

Zoom Passcode:
    hgtlecture

About this lecture:

From 2020 to 2021, Thailand witnessed a youth-led political uprising that reshaped public engagement with democracy and revived interest in long-suppressed historical narratives. Central to this shift is Gen Z's growing political awareness, grounded in Thailand's past, including long-silenced events such as the 6 October 1976 massacre. This lecture examines how young Thais today interpret this event and employ commemorative practices as countermemory to challenge state narratives and articulate democratic aspirations.

The study focuses on commemorations at Thammasat University from 2018 to 2025, spanning the period before and after the 2020 uprising. Drawing on interviews with organizers and participants, alongside an analysis of online discourse, it explores how the memory of 6 October is mobilized and understood. Observations show that these commemorations have become larger, more participatory, and more explicitly political since 2020. A once modest memorial has developed into a broader remembrance of state violence, linking 1976 to incidents such as Tak Bai in 2004 and recent repression. The analysis demonstrates how youth transform remembrance into political action, challenging official silence and envisioning a more democratic future.

Brief profile:

Bancharat Polpila completed her Master's degree at Leuphana University in Lüneburg in early 2025. She is currently a PhD candidate and a lecturer at the University of Passau and a research associate at the Chair of Development Politics. Her research focuses on social movements, democratization, and authoritarianism.

We would like to thank the Hamburg Society for Thai Studies for the cooperation. 

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