The demonstrations could lead to the fall of the kingdom – VG

Since Wednesday, there have been demonstrations against the Thai government and monarchy.

The government declared a state of crisis on Thursday, as thousands have gathered around government offices in Bangkok demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, in addition to the reform of the monarchy and a new constitution.

Police in riot gear stormed a demonstration on Friday, dislodging hundreds of protesters by truck. Police in riot gear stormed a demonstration on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

Chan-ocha was a former defense chief and in 2014 he led a coup that led to the country being ruled by a military junta for the next five years. During this period, a new constitution was drawn up and elections were held last year for a civilian government to take over, but it is still Chan-ocha who is the head of government, according to NTB.

Analysts believe the new constitution was designed in such a way as to ensure Chan-ocha’s victory.

Now the demonstrations have spread to 20 cities, and on Sunday protesters defied both the rain and the government’s ban on demonstrations, NTB writes.

Many protesters have been arrested, including several protest leaders. One of them is student leader Parit Chiwarak, better known as the “Penguin”, according to student spokesman Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul.

Police in riot gear stormed a demonstration on Friday, taking hundreds of protesters away by truck.

According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights human rights organization, police have issued arrest warrants for 76 activists since Thursday.

Stein Tønnesson, an Asia researcher at the Peace Research Department, believes the demonstrations could be dangerous for the country’s kingdom.

– I believe that the protests now taking place against King Maha Vajiralongkorn could be the beginning of the end of the kingdom. The demonstrations could lead to the fall of the kingdom and the replacement of a republic. Or that you get a change of throne and a more restricted kingdom, Tønnesson tells VG.

– Which is the reason?

– The main reason is the quality of the new king. He is out of shape and is perceived by Thais as a very different criminal from his father, he says.

The dictator had to kneel

Tønnesson says that Vajiralongkorn’s father, Bhumibol Adulyadej (king 1946-2016) was highly regarded by the people. In 1991, he received great support from the population when he intervened against the country’s unpopular military dictator. He called in the dictator and literally made him kneel down and resign, so that a democratically elected prime minister could take office.

The researcher says the former king was especially popular with conservatives in Thailand. The king’s advisers worked for a long time to find another successor to the throne other than the Crown Prince, whom they considered unsuitable. Some wanted the king’s youngest daughter, Sirindhorn, as queen. But the old king objected to this and wanted the succession to be followed.

In 2016, when Bhumibol Adulyadej died, a transition from a highly respected king to one who is completely inadequate, Tønnesson believes.

– Floating life

Vajiralongkorn was unpopular with the people even before he became king.

– Why?

– By violent tendencies, strange habits and an extravagant life, much spent abroad. Many expected him to get better and try to gain a foothold in the population before and after last year’s large-scale coronation. But he still spends much of the year in Germany and has been the subject of a constitutional amendment allowing him to rule from there, Tønnesson says.

According to the Asian researcher, the king has enormous monetary values ​​by having total control of the real estate agency of the Crown, which will be worth 70 billion dollars. In addition, it has expanded its own bodyguard with soldiers and officers from the Thai army.

Protesters on the streets of Thailand are at great risk in demonstrating against the king because the country has a strict law on insulting His Majesty. You can be arrested and imprisoned for many years for speaking out against Her Majesty.

Something that has been verified during the demonstrations in recent days. This weekend, two activists were arrested for pointing three fingers at the queen of the country walking down a street in Bangkok. The two now risk life sentences, according to CNN.

Political support lost

The king’s problem is that he has no political support, neither from the Conservatives nor from the Reds.

– The old king was a meeting point for conservatives in Thailand during the fight against the Reds in the streets of Bangkok until 2014. The popularity of the king was important also for the military. Conservatives have lost their collective mark and symbol. Now there is no one who is really in favor of the king, says Tønnesson, who believes his days may be numbered.

– How can you depose a king in a country where the law prohibits insulting His Majesty?

– It is easier to change constitutions in military coups. Thailand has had 13 military coups since the 1930s, and it is the 2014 coup leader who is now Prime Minister of Thailand, says Tønnesson.

It may fall when the demonstrations become so strong that the military leadership or a faction in the army decides to abolish the kingdom or depose the king and install another, like his sister Sirindhorn.

– There can be fights in the streets of Bangkok if he is deposed and the life preserver is put as a counterweight, he says.

Discontent in Thailand has risen since February, when several opposition leaders were banned from participating in politics. The corona pandemic has also sent the country’s economy into free fall and made the vast differences between the country’s many poor and the ruling elite even clearer.

Missing activist

In June, a well-known activist, Wanchalearm Satsaksit, disappeared after living in self-chosen exile in Cambodia.

Activists have used social media to demand answers, and in mid-July the campaign sparked a wave of protests across the country. In mid-September, up to 30,000 people showed up to demonstrate, the highest number since the 2014 coup.