BANGKOK: A group of Thai rappers has touched a nerve with an impassioned and now-viral music video lobbing fiery rhymes at the ruling junta, as police mull filing charges against the lyricists. The generals that toppled Thailand’s democratic government in 2014 have kept a tight lid on dissent but creative criticism through music and arts has been harder to control, even if its impact on political life has so far been minimal.

The song “Prathet Ku Mee” (Which is My Country), uploaded to YouTube on Oct 22, has racked up more than 6.4 million views and tens of thousands of comments since it went live on the platform, prompting authorities to take notice.

“It’s under consideration by investigators, and it will take a few days because it’s a sensitive issue,” Siriwat Deephor, the police spokesman for the Technology Crime Suppression Division, told AFP when asked whether they would file charges.

Journalists and an academic have joined the debate, with one person comparing it to the rapper Childish Gambino’s macabre “This is America” video about racism and violence earlier this year. But not all are fans. “Get out of this country if you don’t like it,” a Facebook user wrote.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018

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