Supa Kollasuta: We think this charter has been deliberately set up by people who are not legitimate. It came from the junta. In drafting any charter, the majority of the people need to participate.

The Nation's Pravit Rojanaphruk talks to Supa Kollasuta, a key member of the federation and a second-year political science student at Kasetsart University, about the latest campaign.

Why is the federation against the draft charter?

Because we think this charter has been deliberately set up by people who are not legitimate. It came from the junta. In drafting any charter, the majority of the people need to participate.

How are you campaigning and what sort of response are you getting?

We have been distributing leaflets and trying to explain our position [to the public]. We went to Siam Square last Saturday and also Victory Monument. Our junior members wear rain coats with the slogan "reject dictatorial constitution" printed on the back.

We're also talking to our regional colleagues and the campaign [outside the capital] will start next month.

Some say student activists, especially the federation, have seen their glory days and now the movement is a shadow of what it was in the past. Is that accurate?

If you ask whether such a statement is true, well it is in a way. The social context now is that there are plenty of shopping malls vying for students' attention.

But there are many new groups [of student activists] now, not just the federation. A network of students from nine universities, including Chulalongkorn and Thammasat, is also active on the issue of draft constitution although they're proposing that people offer opinions as to how the draft can be improved.

How did you get involved in student political activism?

I was imbued with political thinking by my father. He is a bank manager who grew up during the student activism of the 1970s. He tried to teach me to be concerned about politics and reminded me that we have rights and should take part in the administration of the country and not merely allow those in power to do what they want. We do what we can for society.

Some fear that if the draft charter is rejected in the referendum, a much worse constitution may be revived by the junta.

Let me ask them that if they're so afraid, then what about people's rights? Don't we have the right to demand anything? We shouldn't just allow anyone to dictate to us. This draft charter was illegal from its inception. If a worse charter is revived, students will come out again to oppose it.

Many academics and NGO activists who otherwise claim to be for democracy and human rights are supporting the coup and the junta, directly and indirectly. What do you think about this?

They may try to reduce or solve some problems [by working with the junta] but the military is setting the rules. Do we really need to play by their rules?