{"id":4402,"date":"2020-08-17T00:01:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-16T23:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/?p=4402"},"modified":"2020-08-17T00:01:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-16T23:01:51","slug":"biggest-thai-protest-in-years-puts-pressure-on-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/biggest-thai-protest-in-years-puts-pressure-on-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Biggest Thai protest in years puts pressure on government"},"content":{"rendered":"
More than 10,000 Thai protesters chanting \u201cdown with dictatorship\u201d and \u201cthe country belongs to the people\u201d rallied in Bangkok on\u00a0 Sunday in by far the biggest anti-government demonstration since a 2014 coup.<\/p>\n
There were cheers for student calls to curb the monarchy\u2019s powers – once a taboo subject – as well as demands for the departure of former junta leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a new constitution and an end to the harrasment of opposition activists.<\/p>\n
Students have led protests almost daily for the past month, but Sunday\u2019s demonstration drew a broader crowd in the Southeast Asian country, which has experienced decades of protests punctuated by military coups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want a new election and a new parliament from the people,\u201d student activist Patsalawalee Tanakitwiboonpon, 24, told the crowd. \u201cLastly, our dream is to have a monarchy which is truly under the constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n
ALSO READ:\u00a0British government faces mounting pressure over exam row<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Organisers of the Free People movement and police said there were over 10,000 people at the protest.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prime minister sends his concern to officials and protesters to avoid violence,\u201d Traisulee Traisoranakul, a government spokeswoman, told reporters. She said Prayuth had also ordered the cabinet to take steps to build understanding between generations.<\/p>\n There was no immediate comment from the Royal Palace.<\/p>\n Prayuth won elections last year that the opposition says were held under rules to ensure that he kept power. The most vocal opposition party was subsequently banned.<\/p>\n Anger has further been fuelled by accusations of corruption, the arrest of some student leaders over earlier protests and the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are seeing a shift in strategy of the youth-led movement becoming more inclusive,\u201d said Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University, citing their emphasis on the economy as well as politics.<\/p>\n Some student groups have also presented 10 reforms they seek to the monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn – including curbing his powers over the constitution, the royal fortune and the armed forces.<\/p>\n \u201cDown with feudalism, long live the people,\u201d protesters chanted. \u201cWe will no longer be dust for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Thailand\u2019s lese majeste law sets a penalty of up to 15 years for criticising the monarchy, but Prayuth has said the king requested that it not be used for now.<\/p>\n As the anti-government protest got underway, several dozen royalists also held a demonstration, waving national flags and holding up gold-framed portraits of the king and other royals.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care if they protest against the government but they cannot touch the monarchy,\u201d said Sumet Trakulwoonnoo, a leader of the royalist group, Coordination Center of Vocational Students for the Protection of National Institutions (CVPI).<\/p>\n Critics accuse the monarchy of helping extend the army\u2019s hold on politics in Thailand, where there have been 13 successful coups since the end of absolute royal rule in 1932.<\/p>\n Before the 2014 coup, Bangkok was roiled by more than a decade of often violent clashes between yellow shirt royalist protesters and rival red shirts loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.<\/p>\n The new wave of protests has not been violent so far.<\/p>\n \u201cI am old now and can never achieve my goal,\u201d said former red shirt protester Ueng Poontawee, 62. \u201cNow there are new faces. I am very happy they came out.\u201d<\/p>\n After the more than nine-hour protest dispersed, a group of the activists marched to a nearby police station to challenge officers to arrest them if there were warrants against them on charges of organising previous protests.<\/p>\n The police did not arrest anyone and the activists then left. Police made no comment to media.<\/p>\n Three student leaders have been charged over accusations of breaching restrictions in organising previous protests. They have been released on bail, but police say arrest warrants have been issued for a further 12 protest leaders while others are under investigation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" More than 10,000 Thai protesters chanting \u201cdown with dictatorship\u201d and \u201cthe country belongs to the people\u201d rallied in Bangkok on\u00a0 Sunday in by far the biggest anti-government demonstration since a 2014 coup. There were cheers […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2,7],"tags":[362,834],"coauthors":[25],"class_list":{"0":"post-4402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest-news","8":"category-top-news","9":"category-world","10":"tag-government","11":"tag-thai-protest"},"yoast_head":"\n\u2018DOWN WITH FEUDALISM\u2019<\/h3>\n