Demonstrations at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok
Anant Kasetsinsombut / Shutterstock.com
This month there were several demonstrations, mainly by students, at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. The largest meeting was on August 16.
Demonstrators wanting more democracy in Thailand have three main demands for political and institutional change. If the government does not respond to this, there will be another protest the following month. According to a statement, the requirements are:
- End individual harassment of government critics
- The start of drafting a new constitution
- The dissolution of the House of Representatives
The demonstration at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok is regarded as the largest anti-government protest since a military coup in 2014 and against Prime Minister Prayut's administration. The turnout numbers were estimated differently. The organizers speak of a number of between 20.000 and 30.000 demonstrators, according to the police about 12.000 people.
To maintain order, about six hundred police officers from four different police units of the municipal police have been deployed. The demonstration took place from 15:00 PM to midnight and reportedly remained peaceful without intervention.
Around midnight, the demonstrators, including their protest leaders, marched towards the Samranrat police station. At the end of the rally, Anon Nampa, one of the leaders, was released. Pharit Chiwarak has also been released.
Although the police have not acted harshly, the protest leaders have to watch their step. Individuals sometimes disappear who disagree with the political “policy”!
Source: Pattaya News
Dutch media have meanwhile paid attention to the demonstrations and the demands of the students. Those demands are justified. Despite the fact that Prayuth cs already saddled Thailand with a military regime in May 2014, and despite its promise to normalize Thailand according to a “roadmap to democracy”, Thailand is sliding more and more towards a dictatorship. The grip of the tenth successor is ever tight, while more absent than in the country, army and police act as they see fit, Thailand still does not have a rule of law.
Let me mention a few signs and banners that the pupils and students carried.
The first dictatorship is school
If we tolerate this what will we tell our children?
Germany is not Thailand!
We want to go reform but a revolution!
In the meantime, another nine activists have been arrested on the charge of 'sedition', which carries a 7-year prison sentence. Two members of the group 'Rap against Dictatorship' have also been arrested. A sentence from their song 'Prathet koe mie, Mijn Land…': '”The country where the government is untouchable, where the the police use laws to threaten the people.”
This rapper e.g.:
'Hockhacker' Dechathorn Bamrungmueang was arrested while he was driving his wife to work. Their young child was also present.
Hockhacker is just a musician, who performed at the protests. Many musicians at PDRC protests. Any of them arrested?
And here is the song of those arrested rappers. With a translation by Rob V:
https://www.thailandblog.nl/achtergrond/dit-is-mijn-land/
At the same time, some other 'wheel turners' are also arrested. From the Bangkok Post:
Apart from Mr Arnon, the other three people held on Wednesday night were Suwanna Tanlek, 48, a labor activist who has campaigned for workers' rights; Baramee Chairat, 53, secretary general of the Assembly of the Poor; and activist Korakot Saenyenphan, 27. They were arrested separately in Bangkok on Wednesday night on charges of inciting public unrest and other offenses related to the July 18 Free Youth rally.