Biggest Thai protest in years cheers calls to reform monarchy Brazil reports 33,057 new coronavirus cases, 739 deaths

BANGKOK, (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people joined Thailand’s biggest protest in years yesterday, cheering calls to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s monarchy and for the removal of former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister.

“Unless the monarchy is under the constitution, we will never achieve true democracy,” protest leader and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa told the crowd gathered within sight of the Grand Palace in central Bangkok.

“More, more,” the crowd chanted after Arnon called for cuts to the royal budget and changes to the constitution to bring the king clearly under its control.

The Royal Palace was not available for comment on the protest and the demands for reform.

“People can protest but they should do that peacefully and within the law,” said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri when asked to comment.

Arnon said protesters would on Sunday declare “the country belongs to the people, not the monarchy” and place a commemorative brass plaque, echoing the words of the leaders of the 1932 upheaval that ended absolute monarchy.

Protests that have been building in the southeast Asian country of 70 million since mid-July have broken a longstanding taboo by criticising the monarchy as well as seeking a new constitution and elections.

Thai authorities have said criticising the monarchy is unacceptable in a country where the king is constitutionally “enthroned in a position of revered worship”. Lese majeste laws mean those insulting the monarchy can be jailed.

Conservatives are horrified by attacks on the monarchy.

“You can drive out the prime minister, but don’t talk about the king,” commented one Facebook user as speeches were broadcast live from the protest.

Reuters reporters estimated there were at least 30,000 people in the demonstration. Organisers said there were more than 50,000, while police said there were 18,000, still enough to make it the biggest since Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) - Brazil recorded 33,057 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 739 deaths from the disease, the Health Ministry said yesterday.

South America’s largest country has registered more than 4.5 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, according to ministry data, ranking it as the third worst outbreak in the world after the United States and India.

More than 136,000 people have died of the disease in Brazil, which ranks second after the United States in coronavirus deaths.