‘We’re staying until PM quits’
Protesters’ ultimatum after tense mass rally
Anti-government protesters have besieged Government House and threatened to camp out there until Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha bows to one of their demands and quits.
Their sit-in has scuppered the government’s plan to receive Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Government House today — he will probably be welcomed at the Defence Ministry or Ban Phitsanulok instead. Mr Wang is visiting the kingdom to bolster cooperation between the two countries and will meet the PM today.
Pro-democracy protest l eaders announced last night that they would camp out in front of Government House until Gen Prayut resigns. Their two other key demands are for parliament to hold an urgent special session to deliberate charter amendments and reform of the monarchy.
After more than 10 hours of marching which was occasionally blocked by police, the anti-government protesters set up camp on Phitsanulok Road outside Government House yesterday evening as police gave up trying to stop them.
The number of protesters was estimated at 20,000, according to journalists covering the event. During the day the protesters occupied Phitsanulok Road from the Misakawan intersection and Chamai Maruchet Bridge all the way to Nang Loeng intersection.
Police declared they would not allow the protesters to enter the nearby Royal Plaza and, as the Bangkok Post was going to press last night, they were still ordering protesters through loudspeakers to head home by 10pm in order to comply with the public assembly law. The police did not spell out what they would do if the protesters remained where they were.
One of the protest leaders, Parit — aka “Penguin” Chiwarak — claimed at least 200,000 people had attended the rally, despite police estimates that only 8,000 people had turned up.
More than 14,000 police officers were deployed to maintain order.
The demonstration was organised by the “Khana Ratsadorn” (the People’s Group), formerly known as the Free People movement.
Protesters began gathering at Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue yesterday morning, led by human rights activist Arnon Nampa, a core member of the group.
This followed an announcement that the demonstration earlier planned to start at 2pm had been moved up to 8am following the arrest of 21 protesters near the Democracy Monument and Satriwithaya School on Tuesday afternoon.
The group began marching to Government House to press their three key demands — the departure of Gen Prayut, a new constitution and monarchy reform — but were halted by police barricades.
“Down with dictatorship. Long live democracy,” the marchers chanted as they left Democracy Monument, where they had assembled. and came face to face with thousands of yellowclad royalists.
The protesters walked from the Democracy Monument to Government House via Nakhon Sawan Road as security authorities blocked them from marching down Ratchadamneon Nok Avenue, which was being prepared
for yesterday’s royal motorcade.
Mr Arnon and other protest leaders promised there would be no violence during the rally.
Yellow-clad people had gathered along Ratchadamnoen Avenue, waiting
for the motorcade of His Majesty the King, who was scheduled to go to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha inside the Grand Palace in the afternoon for the graduation ceremony of monks and novices who had completed Pali studies.
The yellow-clad royalists dispersed after the royal motorcade had passed.
The protesters were blocked by four police buses at the end of Nakhon Sawan Road and those in the front line started trying to push one of the buses out of the way. Their leaders told them to stop and to show restraint.
They then sat down along Nakhon Sawan Road and waited for their leaders’ next move. Police later removed the buses and allowed them to move on to the Nang Loeng intersection,.
About the same time, the royal motorcade of Her Majesty the Queen passed along Phitsanulok Road, which was cordoned off by security officers to stop protesters. Their only gesture was to defiantly flash the three-finger salute as the motorcade passed.
Her Majesty, representing His Majesty the King and accompanied by
His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, was to offer robes to monks as part of a kathin ceremony at Wat Arun Ratchawararam and Wat Ratcha Orasaram.
Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen said yesterday that police would try to contain the protesters, whose numbers he estimated at 8,000.
Pol Col Kissana urged the public to avoid the routes occupied by the protesters, whom he urged to comply with the law and not violate other people’s rights.
Suthep Thaugsuban, former protest leader of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee, was among the yellow-clad people who waited for the royal motorcade of His Majesty the King.
He said he joined other Thais to show loyalty to the monarchy, but denied mobilising yellow-clad supporters to counter the anti-government protesters.
Anti-government protesters have vowed to keep fighting until their demands for greater democracy and less power for the monarchy are fulfilled, while pro-monarchy groups have also pledged to protect the country’s highest institution they love and admire.
The anti-government protesters began gathering yesterday morning at Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue. The pre-planned start time of the 2pm event was pushed up to 8am after 21 protesters were arrested on Tuesday.
“I’m here today because what happened to Pai Daodin [activist Jatupat Boonpatararaksa] and his friends is unacceptable: to arrest people without a warrant or reading them their charges. To disperse a rally without a court order,” said a 21-year-old protester, who declined to provide his name.
The man said he was well aware of the risks involved, since several prodemocracy activists had already been charged with serious offences including sedition, which carries up to seven years in prison. He also acknowledged the risks had risen even higher due to them raising the taboo topic of the monarchy.
“Speaking up is costing us a lot of things in this country,” he said. “Brave activists and students who have come forward to voice their rightful criticism of the government and the monarchy have faced dire consequences.
“Some have been threatened, some attacked and some were forced to disappear. I can’t just stand still anymore, I want all of these weird things to end in my generation.”
Another 20-year-old protester who identified herself as “June” said she went because she really wanted to see changes and could no longer tolerate the injustice and dysfunctional democracy in this country.
“There are many questions which need to be answered,” she said.
A high school student, who asked not to be named because her parents fear for her safety, said she and her friends had not told their parents they were attending the protest and had skipped exams yesterday morning to be there.
“We want to express our stance and voice support for their [three] demands,” the teenager said.
She said protesting students shared the same aspirations for democracy as those in the Oct 14, 1973 uprising, but insisted this one would not end in violence.
She said democracy should be a system in which everybody is equal but what remains undemocratic is the kneeling culture used to show respect and the 250 military-appointed senators.
Another university student, who asked not to be named, echoed those views and added that democracy should foster fundamental human rights and freedoms, but what had undermined Thailand’s democracy was the opaqueness surrounding last year’s election, especially those of the senators.
A group of university students said they had decided to skip their classes to join the protest because they wanted to see Thailand transformed into a real democracy.
“We are sick and tired of living under a repressive regime,” one of the group said. “We need real political change in order to transform this country.
“We want to live in a society where people can truly enjoy their freedom, their liberties and equality. There are problems that must be solved. If we do not tackle the structural issues, the chronic issues will persist.”
Another high school student said he had travelled from Prachuap Khiri Khan by hitching a free ride organised by yellow-shirt [pro-monarchy] protesters. The moment he arrived he took off his yellow shirt to reveal the black one underneath.
“I am joining forces today to show the power of the masses,” he said.
Every anti-government protester told the Bangkok Post they would keep fighting until their demands for greater democracy and less power for the constitutional monarchy established by Khana Ratsadon in 1932 had been fulfilled.
Anti-government protests have taken place throughout the country for the past three months — protesters are demanding the removal of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government, a rewriting of the military-drafted constitution and reform of the monarchy.
As anti-government demonstrators occupied a section of Ratchadamdoen Avenue on one side of the Democracy Monument, people wearing yellow shirts massed on the opposite side.
Those attending yesterday’s antigovernment rally were mainly young students, unlike the crowd on Sunday, which appeared to be overwhelmingly retirees.
Groups of yellow-clad people also gathered at spots along the avenue towards Government House and waited for the motorcade of His Majesty the King, who was to preside over a graduation ceremony of Pali scholars at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Many of them vowed to protect the monarchy with their lives.
“I don’t care if you talk about politics. You can protest about the government — go ahead and do so but do not touch the monarchy. I cannot let that happen and I will protect the monarchy with my life,” said Jamnong Hongthong, a 78-year-old retiree from Nonthaburi.
Mr Jamnong said about 600 people from his village had voluntarily travelled just to welcome the royal motorcade.
“We have not been paid. We have come here by ourselves. If I can say something to the anti-government groups, I want them to stop attacking the highest institution,” he said.
Another royalist, Suchart Boonkerd, 76, from Chon Buri, said he considered the demands of anti-government groups inappropriate and that the monarchy held a cherished and sacred place in Thai society.
He said the students were overstepping their bounds.
“I believe the youth are manipulated by some people who want to destroy our country,” he said. “These people criticise and defame the monarchy and spread misinformation with baseless facts. The younger generations need to learn that the monarchy has done many things for us in the past. They need to be educated about these facts.”
Sornsiri Prempreeda, 73, from Lop Buri, said he could accept evolution of society — but not revolution, as the protesters wanted.
“I don’t mind if you want to chase the government out but I won’t put up with your insolence towards the institution,” he said.
‘‘Some have been threatened, some attacked and some were forced to disappear. I can’t just stand still anymore.
21-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER