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Hundreds of Thai protesters clashed with police who threw blue paint at officers and shouted at King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s royal caravan, after 21 protesters were arrested ahead of a new round of anti-government demonstrations on Wednesday.
The crowd chanted: “Free our friends!” as the king’s car sped past in a show of dissent toward the monarchy that has no recent precedent in Thailand.
Among those abducted during Tuesday’s protests were Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, a protest leader, and Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, a singer. Those detained would be duly charged, police said.
“It is possible that the protesters did not observe the law today, so the police had to act to bring order and did not act disproportionately,” government spokeswoman Anucha Burapachaisri told Reuters news agency.
The protests, which have persisted for three months, present the biggest challenge in years for a political establishment dominated by the army and the palace.
The protesters are calling for a new constitution and the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former leader of the military government.
They have also called for the powers of the monarchy to be curtailed, breaking a long-standing taboo against criticism of the royal family, which many people still revere.
The palace has not responded to requests for comment on the protests or demands for royal reform.
In a sign of the monarch’s continued popularity among many Thais, the king and queen left the palace late Tuesday, smiling broadly as they greeted thousands of supporters awaiting the anniversary of the former king’s death in the rain.
My lawyer colleague from @ TLHR2014 You are not allowed to enter Border Patrol Police Region 1 in Pathum Thani, where the 21 arrested activists are being held. Some of them are reportedly physically injured by the police who forcibly detained them. October Mafia #quehappeninginthailand https://t.co/0n0ghxRgWQ
– June Sirikan (@JCharoensiri) October 13, 2020
Hours earlier, hours before the royal caravan passed the Bangkok Democracy Monument, protesters had pushed through a police line and some threw blue paint.
Police demolished a tent set up for the protest and dragged some protesters into police vehicles.
Three finger salute
After the problem, the royal caravan passed to the other side of the street. The protesters raised their hands in the three-finger salute adopted by anti-government activists and demanded the release of the detainees.
“This is the ugliness of feudalism, where one person can do anything and most people have to accept it unconditionally,” Parit “Penguin” Chirawat, student leader, said on Twitter.
The most trending hashtag on the social media platform in Thailand, used more than 1.5 million times, insulted the king.
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet royalist supporters who gathered in front of the Grand Palace to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in Bangkok [Jorge Silva/Reuters]
Insults to the monarchy are punishable by up to 15 years in prison under Thailand’s lese majesty laws, but the prime minister said earlier this year that the king requested that they not be used for now.
The protesters have said they are not seeking the abolition of the monarchy, but rather to reduce the king’s powers under the constitution and reverse an order to bring the palace’s fortune and some army units under his control.
“The monarchy has to be under the constitution, that’s how it is supposed to be,” said Waranya Siripanya, a 21-year-old protester.
At night, the protesters moved to the police station where the detainees were held, pressing against the doors to demand their release.
Pro-democracy activist Parit ‘Penguin’ Chiwarak, (center), leads a group of protesters in Bangkok on Tuesday night to protest the arrest of other protesters at an earlier rally. [Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP]
Tuesday was a public holiday to mark four years since the death of the king’s widely respected father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years.
Vajiralongkorn, who spends most of his time in Germany, made a rare visit to Thailand for the occasion.
Thousands of royalists gathered to pay their respects, bearing the image and flowers of the late king and wearing yellow shirts, the color associated with him.
Many royalists criticized the protesters.
“They may have been taught and said that the monarchy has no value to the nation,” said Narongsak Poomsisa-ard, 67.
“But I want to remind you that our nation exists until today, because we have a strong institution.”
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