[ad_1]
The situation in Thailand remains tense. How nervous the rulers are can be seen in the severity of the measures now imposed against the protest movement. Gatherings of five or more people are prohibited in the capital Bangkok.
The government announced that action was taken to stop the escalation of street protests. It also prohibited the publication of news or communications online that could “create fear”, affect national security or damage public morals.
The government could also prohibit access to designated places. The emergency measures would take effect at 4 am (local time). That night, the police cleared a site in front of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s office.
The three-month-long protests intensified on Wednesday when thousands of protesters camped outside the prime minister’s headquarters to force the former board leader to resign.
They also called for a public debate on the army’s support for the royal family and the abolition of a law that provides harsh penalties for criticizing the monarchy. Anyone who insults the regent faces up to 15 years in prison in Thailand.
At the same time, hundreds of royalists gathered a few dozen meters from critics of the government at the start of the demonstration. They wore yellow shirts, the color of the Thai monarchy.
The king is in town for once
The special thing about the rally: King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who lives most of the time in Bavaria, is currently in Bangkok. On Wednesday the regent was supposed to pass the democracy monument in the center of the capital, where protesters had gathered, on his way to a ceremony, fearing clashes with the police.
Thailand has a history of conflict, with more than a dozen military coups in the last twelve years. After the most recent coup in 2014 and a parliamentary election overshadowed by allegations of fraud, former army chief Prayut became the new prime minister.
