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Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Wednesday that he was preparing to lift the state of emergency imposed to halt months of anti-government protests as thousands of protesters demonstrated for the eighth day in a row in the country’s capital Bangkok.
In a televised address to the nation, Prayuth urged protesters to allow parliament, where his supporters have the majority, to resolve disputes and said he would lift the emergency measures announced last week if there was no violence.
“I will take the first step to reduce this situation,” he said. “I am currently preparing to lift the serious state of emergency in Bangkok and will do so immediately if there are no violent incidents.
“Now we must step back from the edge of the slippery slope that can easily slide into chaos,” he added.
The protesters, who have held rallies almost daily since late July, are demanding the resignation of Prayuth, a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy, a revered institution traditionally treated as sacrosanct in Thailand.
The protests have continued every day since late July and drew tens of thousands of people earlier this week following the government’s decision to impose emergency measures.
The demonstrations have become the biggest challenge to Thailand’s establishment in years, sparking the most outspoken opposition to the monarchy in decades, despite lese majesty laws setting jail terms of up to 15 years for insulting the royalty. The government’s decision last Thursday to impose emergency measures, which prohibit political gatherings of more than five people and the publication of information deemed to threaten security, drew tens of thousands of people earlier this week in the largest demonstrations in months of protests.
Pro-democracy protesters attend an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand on October 21, 2020 [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]
Pro-democracy activists wave three fingers during a rally at the Victory Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020 [Sakchai Lalit/ AP]
Even the forcible dispersal of a rally by riot police with water cannons in Bangkok last Friday failed to disconcert the protesters, who appeared in equal or greater numbers in the following days.
‘Must resign’
As Prayuth spoke on Wednesday, tens of thousands of protesters marched to his office in Government House to demand his resignation, as well as the lifting of emergency measures and the release of dozens of activists arrested in a crackdown.
“It is not enough. You must resign,” Too, 54, one of the protesters, told the Reuters news agency.
Protesters say Prayuth engineered an election last year to maintain the power he took in a 2014 coup. He says the choice was fair.
20-year-old university student and activist Som told AFP that he was skeptical that Prayuth would keep his words.
“I don’t think it will lift the emergency decree because it has established conditions,” he said, adding that the protesters must “maintain their demands.”
Wednesday’s anti-government rally came as dozens of yellow-clad Thai royalists held a rally at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok to show their support for King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s monarchy. The two sides later clashed, with both groups yelling at each other and some throwing bottles of water and other objects.
Police try to separate pro-democracy protesters and royalists during a clash in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 21, 2020 [Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters]
Thousands of royalists also demonstrated in support of the monarchy in the southern province of Narathiwat.
In his speech, Prayuth said that disputes must be resolved in parliament. His supporters are in the majority, the entire upper house has been appointed by his former military government.
“The protesters have made their voices and opinions heard,” said Prayuth. “The time has come for them to allow their views to be reconciled with those of other segments of Thai society.”
Court challenge
On Wednesday separately, six university students went to civil court in Bangkok and filed a lawsuit against Prayuth, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and National Police Chief Suwat Chaengyodsuk. They want the court to temporarily revoke the emergency decree until a full legal ruling on its legality can be made.
The students, who read their petition to the media in Thai, English and German, said the decree restricted the legal right to assembly and “grossly, unfairly and blatantly violated the rights and freedoms of the people” without respecting the constitution.
The court did not act on his request, but it may rule on Thursday on a similar appeal that was filed on Tuesday by the opposition Pheu Thai party.
Also on Wednesday, two protest leaders approached a Bangkok criminal court and asked for his release on bail. However, after a hearing, the court denied them bail, saying they could pose a threat to public order.
The two, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, were initially detained during an attempted night-time demonstration outside the prime minister’s office on the night of October 14. They were released on Tuesday, but were immediately re-arrested on other charges.
As he was driven to the courthouse in a prison van, Parit opened a window, gave a three-finger salute, the protesters’ symbol of defiance, and shouted: “The court must side with the people!”
Royalists take part in a rally to show support for the Thai royal establishment in Su-ngai Kolok district in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province on October 21, 2020 [Madaree Tohlala/AFP]
Another activist was arrested Wednesday morning in connection with last week’s protests. Suranart Panprasert is accused of being involved in acts of harm against the queen when her caravan passed in front of a small crowd of protesters. Depending on exactly what is charged by a court, you could face a life sentence if convicted.
According to witnesses and video footage, there was no violence as the caravan passed by, but a small group of people made the three-fingered gesture of protest and shouted slogans at the car carrying Queen Suthida, the wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Thailand’s parliament is reconvening for a special session next week to deal with the political pressures of the protests. The government has also tried to censor reports on the demonstrations, citing “distorted information” that could cause unrest and confusion, but selected media outlets continued to broadcast on Wednesday.
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