‘I want freedom’: Thai protest despite government ban on meetings

BANGKOK: Tens of thousands took to a Bangkok street from shops, offices and schools, expressing shock, anger and defiance.

The Thai government had announced emergency measures to ban gatherings of five or more people to try to end three months of protests. The response was one of the biggest demonstrations so far, in the heart of the capital.

Some 10,000 Thai protesters gathered on Thursday (October 15), chanting “Prayut, come out!” and “Free our friends!” while confronting the police at Ratchaprasong, a busy intersection in central Bangkok.

“We are being pushed around the corner like a dog,” one of the few prominent activist leaders not in custody, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, told the crowd.

“And with our backs against the wall, we will die with nothing to lose,” he said.

As night fell, protesters waved their illuminated mobile phones in the air.

Thousands of people sat on plastic sheeting on the road munching on street snacks while dozens more watched from elevated walkways. Many said they would return on Friday night.

“I’m not afraid. Emergency or not, I have no freedom,” said 26-year-old illustrator Thanatpohn Dejkunchorn, who left work early to attend the protest with friends. “I want freedom to exist in this country. I want it to be free from this vicious cycle.”

The protests have piled up since mid-July into the biggest challenge for the political establishment in years: seeking the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former military leader, and curbing the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

“We have to create understanding with the protesters,” government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri told Reuters, complaining that the protest leaders were not giving the protesters “complete information.”

Police said they would arrest all the protesters, although they did not explain how they would charge tens of thousands of people.

The Royal Palace has declined to comment on the protesters or their demands.

As of Wednesday, the government had largely allowed demonstrations to occur, with no sign of complying with the protesters’ demands.

But that changed after an incident in which protesters mocked Queen Suthida’s caravan while she and the king made a rare visit from Europe, where they spend most of their time.

The government cited the risks to national security and the economy from the protests, as well as the danger of the coronavirus spreading, as reasons for imposing emergency measures.

The government then launched an offensive early Thursday, razing a camp set up outside Prayut’s office and arresting three protest leaders, among around 40 arrests in the past week.

Later, student leaders took to social media to urge their followers to take to the streets.

Among those in attendance were high school students, who covered the identification tags on their uniforms with duct tape.

“EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY POWER”

“It is obvious that the state wants to exercise excessive and unnecessary power over the people,” said 22-year-old student Pattanun Arunpreechawat, who joined Thursday’s protest after studying.

“I want democracy for my country,” said Katherine, a 13-year-old girl who attended her first protest. “I want to be part of a great change.”

Police estimated 10,000 people attended the rally. The protesters began to disperse at 10 pm local time.

“All these people who met today, their actions are against the law,” deputy police spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen told AFP.

He said it was up to the authorities to whom to take legal action.

The protesters want to overthrow Prayut, who first seized power in a coup in 2014, saying he crafted the electoral rules last year to keep his office, a charge he denies. Breaking a long-standing taboo, protesters have also challenged the monarchy, saying it has helped secure decades of military influence.

They gathered in the shadow of luxury shopping malls and glittering towers that house multinationals and other companies from Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

But the Ratchaprasong intersection also has historical resonance for protesters. In 2010, it was the scene of bloodshed when security forces cracked down on the Red Shirts who fought the Yellow Shirts for the establishment during a decade of turmoil.

“I am not afraid. They have chased me with guns,” said beef noodle vendor Thawat Kijkunasatien, 57, a veteran of the bloody crackdown a decade ago and another in 1992.

“Wherever the children go, I go,” he said at the protest as he drank a can of beer.

A feature of recent Thai protests has been the degree to which they are led by students and other youth. Most of the protest leaders are 20 years old, but they are followed by an even younger generation.

From the three-finger protest salute when the national anthem is played at school to tying white ribbons in their hair and on school bags as a symbol of protest, high school students have joined the campaign.

Many dropped out of school to join Thursday’s protest, including 18-year-old Tan, who arrived after finishing school exams. He refused to give his full name for fear of retaliation.

“I make sure I am prepared for the exams before I go to the protests. I have to give importance to both,” he said. “We can’t let it continue like this, or it will never end.”