[ad_1]
Thousands of Thais took to the streets again defying the ban on demonstrations for the fifth day as the embattled prime minister reminded parliament to decide how to end weeks of protests.
Protesters marched in three locations in the capital Bangkok on Monday, singing the national anthem and raising a three-finger salute taken from Hunger Games movies that has come to symbolize opposition to the military-backed government.
Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that the parliament, currently in recess, would be called in to discuss how to reduce tensions and warned protesters not to break the law. His followers have a majority in parliament.
“The government has already engaged to a certain extent,” Prayuth said.
Thai police also said they ordered an investigation by four media outlets and placed restrictions on the messaging app Telegram under emergency measures imposed on Thursday to try to stop the protests.
Protesters have defied a government ban imposed last week that bans gatherings of more than four people after some activists gave a royal caravan the salute of democracy.
Two activists now face charges under a rarely used law that outlaws “violence against the queen” and face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. Since then, protests have increased considerably.
The largely leaderless movement is calling for the resignation of Prayuth, a former army chief and mastermind of a 2014 coup, as well as the rewrite of the military-drafted constitution that they say rigged the year’s election. passed in his favor.
They also call for the reform of the kingdom’s powerful and wealthy monarchy, a long-standing taboo subject.
They want the abolition of a draconian defamation law that protects King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism, greater transparency of royal finances and the monarch staying out of politics.
His demand for checks and balances on the monarchy has deeply angered Thai conservatives, as the monarchy is considered sacrosanct and strict laws protecting it from insults mean that its role is not openly discussed.
Censorship
On Monday, protesters used secure messaging platforms such as the Telegram app to organize meetings in Bangkok, apparently one step ahead of authorities trying to block access to assembly points.
A senior official with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) confirmed reports on Monday that the agency had been ordered to block access to Telegram.
Suthisak Tantayothin said the NBTC was talking to Internet service providers to do so, but until now, the encrypted messaging app favored by many protesters around the world was still available in the country.
Thai authorities also tried to stem the growing wave of protests by threatening to censor news coverage and raiding a publishing house.
Deputy Police Spokesperson Kissana Phataracharoen confirmed an order signed by the police chief that could allow officials to block access to news sites that provide what he called “distorted information.”
Putchapong Nodthaisong, a spokesman for the digital ministry, said he requested court orders to remove content from four media outlets and the Facebook page of the Free Youth protest group.
The Thai Foreign Correspondents Club said it was “deeply concerned” by the threat of censorship, adding that it “makes the government appear clumsy and indifferent to criticism, and could further anger the public.”
“Bona fide journalists should be able to report on important events without the threat of bans, suspensions, censorship or prosecution over them,” the club said in a statement.
‘Protect the monarchy’
Prayuth warned Monday that the government needed to protect the monarchy. “This is the duty of all Thais,” he told reporters.
Police said 74 people have been arrested since Oct. 13. Nineteen were released on bail on Monday, the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said.
In addition to the arrests by the police, the Ministry of Economy and Digital Society said it flagged more than 325,000 messages on social media platforms that violated the Cybercrime Law, which critics say is used to muzzle dissent.
Police have warned local media that their coverage of the protests would be scrutinized for possible illegal content.
Still, protesters scoffed at these measures.
“They think they have so much power to disconnect people online, but they don’t realize that they can’t catch up with the new generation and the technology we grew up with,” said an 18-year-old nicknamed Apple.
Thousands of protesters gathered at an intersection in Bangkok chanting “keep fighting” in the latest rally in three months of protests.
“This action takes away people’s right to information,” said Jin, 19, who, like many protesters, was only willing to give a name.
#SaveFreePress and # Mob19October were trending in Thailand on Twitter, one of several platforms that tech-savvy protesters use to coordinate their activity.
Prayuth has said that he will not give up.
“We are just asking the people not to do wrong and destroy the government and people’s property,” Prayuth said. “What the government must do is protect the monarchy.”
[ad_2]
