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BANGKOK: Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters called for an end to coups in the Southeast Asian country on Friday (Nov. 27) as months of street protests fuel rumors of another military takeover.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former military leader who took power in the last coup in 2014, but say they do not want him to replace him with another general.
Organizers called Friday’s protest “Rehearsal to oppose a coup.” Hundreds of people joined what was the last of the almost daily demonstrations since mid-July.
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Some 5,000 protesters carried inflatable figures of Santa Claus and the bright yellow ducks, which have become a symbol of the movement, to block a major crossing in Bangkok on Friday.
Natalie, a 32-year-old office worker from Bangkok, said the latest blow was disastrous for Thailand and warned that the country should not take that path again.
“Now is a time of crisis in Bangkok and Thailand. I want new elections and change the prime minister and for a new government to really listen to the people,” he told AFP.
As part of what they called “hit prevention” drills, the protesters passed an armada of pool toy ducks over their heads to represent the military passing over people to take the front row in Thai politics.
Another group displayed portraits of generals who had led coups before ritually burning the portraits.
Army chief Narongphan Jittkaewtae dismissed rumors of a coup, saying the chance of another coup was “less than zero”.
Political scientist Titipol Phakdeewanich of Ubon Ratchathani University believes another coup is unlikely today.
“I don’t think he is going to be removed because he still has strong support from the conservatives … and from big business,” he told AFP.
But in a country that has seen a dozen coups since it became a democracy in 1932, the current round of protests, which began in July, has fueled rumors that another is looming.
The Prayut coup was the thirteenth successful coup since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.
He remained prime minister after last year’s elections and protesters say the vote was staged to keep him in power with a constitution drawn up by his former government that gave the entire upper house of parliament to designated military personnel.
Prayut says the vote was fair.
“I’m only 18, but I’ve already seen two coups. That’s not right,” said Tan, a high school student at the protest who gave only one name. “We don’t want history to repeat itself.”
Both Prayut and Thailand’s army chief Gen. Narongpan Jittkaewtae this week ruled out the possibility that another coup was imminent, but that has only increased speculation that one might be on the cards.
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The protesters also accuse the monarchy of allowing decades of military rule and have demanded restrictions on King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s powers, including his power to approve future coups.
The Royal Palace has not commented on the protesters, although the king recently said they were loved “anyway.”
At least seven of the most prominent protest leaders face charges of insulting the monarchy, which could carry jail terms of up to 15 years, for comments they have made at different protests.
