Thailand's teen activists come to the fore, spreading protest messages on social media

Student activist Benjamaporn Nivas sat in Bangkok's Siam Square in a stunt to draw attention to the strict hairdo rules for Thai students. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BENJAMAPORN NIVAS
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BANGKOK - With her mouth taped and hands tied behind her back, 15-year-old Benjamaporn Nivas sits under a skytrain station looking stonily past the shoppers in Bangkok's Siam Square district.

She's wearing her school uniform. There is a pair of scissors on her lap, along with a sign that says: "This student has broken rules by having hair longer than her ear lobes and bangs that cover her face. This tarnishes the image of Thai students. Please punish her."

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