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BANGKOK: Thailand’s embattled prime minister called a special session of parliament on Monday (October 19) as protesters planned more demonstrations demanding his resignation, the release of jailed activists, and reforms to the monarchy.
Tens of thousands of protesters, mostly young people, took to the streets last week in defiance of an emergency decree that bans gatherings of more than four people.
Police said some 20,000 people protested across the capital on Sunday, although activists and local media estimated much larger crowds.
As they prepared to demonstrate again on Monday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the parliament, currently in recess, would be called in to discuss how to reduce tensions.
Thai police said some 20,000 people protested in Bangkok on Sunday night, but local media and activists estimated the numbers to be much higher. (Photo: AFP / Mladen Antonov)
“We support the opening of an extraordinary session to resolve this conflict,” he told reporters, warning the protesters not to break the law.
“I ask the protesters to gather peacefully. The government has already engaged to some extent,” he said.
The largely leaderless movement is calling for the resignation of Prayut, a former army chief and mastermind of a 2014 coup, as well as the rewriting of the military-drafted constitution that they say rigged last year’s elections to his favor.
Most controversially, the protesters are also making unprecedented demands to reform the powerful and ultra-wealthy monarchy.
READ: Thai protesters gather in Bangkok for the fifth day in defiance of the ban
They want the abolition of a defamation law that protects King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism, greater transparency of royal finances, and the monarch staying out of politics.
The movement appeared to be gaining ground across the country with smaller protests taking place on Sunday from Phuket in the south to Khon Kaen in the northeast.
“PROTECT THE MONARCHY”
It has gathered momentum since July, but escalated dramatically last week after a group of protesters surrounded a royal caravan and threw three-fingered “salutes to democracy”, taken from the movies “The Hunger Games,” on Queen Suthida. .
Two activists now face charges under a rarely used law prohibiting “violence against the queen” and face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
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Clashes escalated further on Friday when riot police used water cannons and other heavy-handed tactics, sparking widespread outrage.
Prayut warned on Monday that the government needed to protect the monarchy.
“This is the duty of all Thais,” he told reporters.
In addition to the arrests by the police, the Ministry of Economy and Digital Society said it had flagged more than 325,000 messages on social media platforms that violated the Cybercrime Law, which critics say is used to muzzle dissent.
Police also warned local media that their coverage of the protests would be scrutinized for possible illegal content.
At noon, #SaveFreePress was the latest hashtag trend on Thai Twitter, one of several platforms that tech-savvy protesters use to coordinate their activity.
They have also copied many tactics employed by Hong Kong protesters during months of frequent violent clashes there last year, including wearing makeshift protective clothing in case of clashes with riot police.
