
-
Jokic triple double as Denver fight back for big win
-
Trump envoy suggests allied zones of control in Ukraine
-
Iraqi markets a haven for pedlars escaping Iran's economic woes
-
Chinese manufacturers in fighting spirits despite scrapped US orders
-
Argentina receives $42 bn from international financial institutions
-
Menendez brothers' resentencing can go ahead: LA judge rules
-
'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense
-
Trump, 78, says feels in 'very good shape' after annual checkup
-
McKellar 'very, very proud' after 'Tahs tame rampant Chiefs
-
Man executed by firing squad in South Carolina
-
Defending champ Scheffler three back after tough day at Augusta
-
Ballester apologizes to Augusta National for relief in Rae's Creek
-
Scorching Coachella kicks off as Lady Gaga set to helm main stage
-
McIlroy, DeChambeau charge but Rose clings to Masters lead
-
Langer misses cut to bring 41st and final Masters appearance to a close
-
Ecuador presidential hopefuls make last pitch to voters
-
Rose knocking on the door of a major again at the Masters
-
DeChambeau finding right balance at Augusta National
-
Spurs leaker not a player says Postecoglou
-
All Black Barrett helps Leinster into Champions Cup semis
-
Round-two rebound: Resilient McIlroy right back in the Masters hunt
-
Asset flight challenges US safe haven status
-
Menendez brothers appear in LA court for resentencing hearing
-
McIlroy, DeChambeau charge as Rose clings to Masters lead
-
UN seeks $275 million in aid for Myanmar quake survivors
-
Frustrated families await news days after 221 killed in Dominican club disaster
-
Trump wants to halt climate research by key agency: reports
-
Fed official says 'absolutely' ready to intervene in financial markets
-
Slumping Homa happy to be headed into weekend at the Masters
-
Morbidelli fastest ahead of cagey MotoGP title rivals in Qatar practise
-
Musetti stuns Monte Carlo Masters champion Tsitsipas to reach semis
-
Abuse scandal returns to haunt the flying 'butterflies' of Italian gymnastics
-
Trump defends policy after China hits US with 125% tariffs
-
Frustrated families await news days after Dominican club disaster
-
McLarens dominate Bahrain practice, Verstappen rues 'too slow' Red Bull
-
Eight birdies rescue Masters rookie McCarty after horror start
-
RFK Jr's autism 'epidemic' study raises anti-vaxx fears
-
Trump -- oldest elected US president -- undergoes physical
-
Rose clings to Masters lead as McIlroy, DeChambeau charge
-
Brazil's Bolsonaro hospitalized with abdominal pain, 'stable'
-
Canada, US to start trade talks in May: Carney
-
Six arrested for murder of notorious Inter Milan ultra
-
Pig kidney removed from US transplant patient, but she set record
-
Musetti stuns defending champion Tsitsipas at Monte Carlo Masters
-
UN shipping body approves global carbon pricing system
-
Spain marine park defends facilities after France orca transfer blocked
-
McLaren dominate Bahrain practice as Verstappen struggles
-
Dollar plunges, stocks wobble over trade war turmoil
-
Trump says tariff policy 'doing really well' despite China retaliation
-
African Development Bank chief warns of tariff 'shock wave'

Thai metal band rocks against royal insult law
Hundreds of headbanging metalheads rock out to the roaring guitars and thundering drums of Thai band Defying Decay, chanting along to their latest politically charged tune.
The group's single "The Law 112: Secrecy and Renegades" is a raucous, defiant anthem with a taboo-defying message -- challenging Thailand's draconian lese majeste laws.
Criticising the royal family is punishable by up to 15 years in jail, but calls for royal reform -- once completely off-limits -- spilled into the open during a series of major youth-led street protests against the junta in 2020.
Saturday night's energetic Bangkok crowd was the first in Thailand to see a live performance of the song, which had already found an audience on US rock stations in November.
The 112 of the title refers to the lese majeste section of Thailand's criminal code, but the song's lyrics avoid criticising any person or institution by name.
"I like to have the lyrics open for interpretation and for everyone to have their own meaning... when I write my songs," vocalist and lyricist Poom Euarchukiati told AFP.
A line in the song about corruption could also find support from royalists or the police, not just anti-government protesters, said the 25-year-old frontman.
Despite the song's contentious title, the main source of inspiration comes from the plot of fantasy video game "Dark Souls", in which corruption is a major theme, Poom said.
- Political music -
The protests calling for political reform that rocked Bangkok in 2020 exposed a generational split in Thailand between youngsters yearning for change and a more conservative older generation.
Poom said his mother was not happy when news of the song's contentious title emerged.
"My mother originally said 'you can't do this'. But then I showed her the lyrics and she was fine with it," he said.
Defying Decay are the latest Thai band to use their music to challenge the establishment.
Released more than three years ago, Rap Against Dictatorship's "Prathet Ku Mee (My Country Has)" made headlines at home and abroad with its politically driven lyrics and aggressive rhymes, narrating a slew of corruption cases.
The hip-hop collective's in-your-face music video, which includes a re-enactment of a notorious 1976 student massacre, also sent a powerful message to the global audience about the country's dark past.
With a limited market for their brand of alternative metal in Thailand, the seven-member band mainly focuses on touring overseas.
- Calls for reform -
At its peak in the second half of 2020, the protests demanding royal reform and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha -- who took power in a 2014 coup -- drew tens of thousands to the streets of Bangkok.
But the movement petered out as coronavirus restrictions hampered rallies and demonstrators were hit with lese majeste charges.
There have been 170 individuals charged under the royal insult law since November 2020, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights organisation.
Political activist Parit Chiwarak, known by his nickname "Penguin", faces the most charges with 23. He has been held in pre-trial detention since August.
At a UN rights meeting last year, the Thai government's representative defended the lese majeste legislation, saying it "reflects the culture and history of Thailand, where the monarchy is one of the main pillars of the nation".
But from a musician's perspective, the law needs to be "updated" to be compatible with the modern world and prevent "misuse," Poom said.
A "clear standard" of wrongdoings committed under lese majeste legislation should also be established to ensure fair trials, Defying Decay lead guitarist Chitipat Wanyasurakul, 26, told AFP.
But imminent change could be far away.
"People who listen to (rebellious) music are mostly teenagers and young workers -- society isn't comprised of this group of people alone," 29-year-old concertgoer Chawanut Rattanaphun told AFP.
H.Romero--AT