If his organisation can get students to pay more attention to political issues, he says, Asian people in general, and especially Thais, will be able to enjoy better lives.

Khai Loon, a 28-year-old Malaysian, who asked for his surname and photograph not to be published, wore a red ASA T-shirt when he spoke to The Nation last week in the lobby of the Royal Hotel, close to Sanam Luang.

He arrived in Bangkok on March 4, in time to watch last Sunday's demonstration at Sanam Luang organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and attended by the Students Federation of Thailand (SFT), which is a member of the ASA.

He also made a speech on stage at about 2am on Tuesday morning.

By working closely with the SFT and its secretary-general Kotchawan Chaiyabutr, Khai Loon, as a regional secretariat member, hopes to get a better understanding of the situation here so the ASA might decide on a course of action. "We are very concerned about the situation in Thailand because the opposition parties are boycotting the election in a country that has been a role model for democracy. It has a history of students sacrificing themselves in the name of democracy," he said.

Khai Loon has visited the Kingdom several times, but on this two-week trip, he said he wanted to understand why so many Thais, including members of the SFT, wanted to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, so that he could explain it to ASA members in other parts of the world.

He said that the association did not directly interfere with political movements in foreign countries as it respected the decisions of its local member. However, he said the ASA was ready to support any member, like the SFT in Thailand, in its efforts to achieve democracy.

"Democracy doesn't exist throughout the world, and that situation needs to be improved. The involvement of people is important. There is no single model for democracy, but all people want a better life for themselves, so there are some principles on which we can agree. That is democracy," he said.

The principles include people's participation, freedom of expression, access to information, and free and fair elections, he said. The democratic process cannot solve all the world's problems, he said, but at least it can prevent dictators and corrupt leaders taking over.

By following the activities of the ASA, Asian students can see what is happening in other countries and use that knowledge, combined with their own creativity, to help improve the situation in their own countries.

"I think it's time for people to exchange views and speak out on what kind of country they want. Everyone has to contribute and take part to achieve this goal," he said.

The recent demonstration led by the PAD showed how creative people can be, he said. But students throughout Asia can still do more. They should work together to fight for democracy, he said.

For example, students could send letters or postcards in support of the struggle. They might even form cultural groups, such as bands, he said. The democratic movement can be fun, interesting and full of creative ideas, he said.

He was also impressed that the current movement in Thailand involved not only the elite or a handful of leaders, but people from all sectors of society, he said.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation