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Protesters in Bangkok have been calling on Thailand’s royal family to stay out of politics.
Taboo
In September, protestors placed a sign near a public square in Bangkok. The sign read, in part, ” … this country belongs to the people and not the king.” Questioning the power of the king and his family was once a taboo subject in Thailand.
A taboo is a subject, word, or custom that people are barred from talking about in a certain culture or country. Taboos may be shocking, but they provide social order. All cultures and religions have taboos.
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.
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