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BANGKOK: Thousands of people protested in the center of Thailand’s capital Bangkok on Sunday (October 25) in the first rally since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ignored his Saturday night deadline to resign. .
It was also the first major show of force since Prayut lifted emergency measures on October 15 that were meant to stop three months of protests against the government and the monarchy, but which brought tens of thousands of people to the streets.
“If he doesn’t resign, then we should go out and ask him to resign peacefully,” said protest leader Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa as people chanted “Prayut Out.”
Protesters gather, waving with three fingers near a main shopping district in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct.25, 2020 (Photo: AP / Gemunu Amarasinghe)
The prime minister’s office posted a note on Twitter to say he would not resign. He said the crisis should be discussed in parliament, which is due to hold a special session on Monday and Tuesday.
But his opponents have little faith in an assembly dominated by his followers.
There were no signs of a significant police presence around the protesters at the Ratchaprasong intersection, an emotional location for protesters as the scene of bloodshed in 2010 in a crackdown by security forces against protests against the system.
A government spokesman said that force would not be used and called on people to remain in peace and respect the law.
In the relaxed atmosphere, a group of drag queens gathered to put on a show.
A protester (left) waves three fingers at bus passengers in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 25, 2020 (Photo: AP / Sakchai Lalit).
The protests since mid-July have put the most pressure on the establishment in years, particularly with taboo-breaking calls to limit the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s monarchy.
On Monday, protesters plan to march to the German Embassy in a message to the king, who is currently in Thailand, but spends much of his time in Germany.
“Going to the German embassy reflects the obvious problem of the exercise of power by the king that makes many people uncomfortable and raises questions about whether it violates German law,” said activist Piyarat “Toto” Chongthep.
The protesters seek the departure of Prayut and a new Constitution. He rejects his accusation that he engineered last year’s elections to maintain the power he first seized in a 2014 coup. They have also demanded restrictions on the monarchy, saying it has allowed decades of military domination.
