‘Rallies at German embassy illegal’

Police warn royalists and pro-democracy protesters against gathering

POLICE said that both royalists and pro-democracy demonstrators were breaking the law by rallying at the German embassy on Sathorn Road in Bangkok.

Deputy Metropolitan Police chief Piya Tawichai on Monday said two teams were policing the demonstrations.

Metropolitan Police Division 6 officers were taking care of the pro-democracy march from Sam Yan, while Division 5 officers were deployed outside the embassy.

The police chief said that the royalist group and the student-led pro-democracy demonstrators had not requested permission for their gatherings, both of which were illegal under emergency law to control the spread of Covid-19.

Describing themselves as “human beings, not dust”, thousands of Thai protesters demanding reforms of the monarchy marched to the German embassy in Bangkok on Monday to put pressure on King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who spends much of his time in Germany.

Germany has said it would be unacceptable for Vajiralongkorn, 68, to conduct politics there and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the European power continued to look into his behaviour during sojourns in Bavaria.

Months of student-led protests that began by calling for the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, 66, a former military ruler, have become the biggest challenge in decades to a monarchy that the Thai constitution says must be revered.

The Palace has made no comment since the start of the protests. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday’s protest.

At the German embassy, a statement was read from “the People” accusing the king of interfering in Thai politics.

“The era of change has arrived. The flowing stream of democracy cannot be stopped,” it said.

It was signed: “Best regards from fellow human beings, not dust” – referring to a Thai expression that people are but dust under the king’s feet.

Criticising the monarchy can mean 15 years in jail, but the protests have swept away the taboo on discussing it.

Thailand’s political crisis has made the king’s presence a challenge for Germany.

“We are monitoring this long-term. It will have immediate consequences if there are things that we assess to be illegal,” Maas said. The king is currently in Thailand.

In a special session of the Thai parliament on the crisis, Prayut rejected protesters’ demand to resign and said last week it was his government’s job to protect the monarchy.

“I’m confident that today, regardless of our different political views, everyone still loves the country,” he told parliament.

Prayut took power in a 2014 coup and protesters say he engineered last year’s election to keep control.