A growing movement among students has been calling for political reform in Thailand

A growing movement among students has been calling for political reform in Thailand. In recent days, the protests have taken a surprising turn, writes an analyst in London for the BBC.

On a stage at an out-of-town campus of one of Thailand's top universities, a young woman with wavy long hair and owlish spectacles steps forward, through a dramatic cloud of dry-ice, and reads out a 10-point manifesto to a crowd of cheering students.

Her demands, for a monarchy that is accountable to the country's elected institutions, that moderates its use of public funds, stays out of politics and does not exercise control over important army units, would be unremarkable in most countries.

In Thailand, they are nothing short of revolutionary.

Thais are taught from birth that the monarchy is the keystone that holds the country together, the institution that embodies the national character.

Every recent Thai constitution - and there have been 19 in modern times, along with a dozen military coups - has stated, at the top, that "The King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship" and that "No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action".

Those provisions are backed by article 112 of the criminal code, known as the lese-majeste law, which subjects anyone criticising the royal family to secret trials and long prison sentences.

Thailand's lese-majeste law explained

More recently, critics who fled to neighbouring countries have been abducted and murdered. Thais are taught to respect, revere and love the monarchy, but also to fear the consequences of speaking about it.

A 'dark hand'?

The issues raised on that stage at Thammasat University on Monday have, in the past, been discussed openly only by those living safely in exile, far from Thailand, or whispered in the privacy of the home.

The Thammasat manifesto has caused an uproar.