Alex wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:02 pm I've never understood the red shirts' silly infatuation with Bangkok, they should have captured virtually unprotected army bases in their stronghold regions instead.

It was because they were following the orders of Thaksin, not making decisions on their own.

26 Feb 2010
Thailand's supreme court stripped the country's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of more than half his seized assets, worth nearly £1bn.

14 March 2010
National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) began protests in Bangkok to call for new elections.

Yesterday

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbul ... 2&si=44594

Thailand's youth demo evolves to largest protest since 2014 coup
Turnout of over 20,000 at peaceful rally shows growing demand for reforms


Thailand's young demonstrators often wave illuminated cell phones above their heads as a visually striking means of peaceful protest. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 16, 2020 08:51 JSTUpdated on August 17, 2020 02:04 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand's free-speech advocates demanding democratic reforms are winning increasingly open support from academics, celebrities and a broadening swathe of the public as the authorities and royalist establishment attempt unsuccessfully to silence them.

Free People, an activist group that morphed out of student-led Free Youth, organized the biggest rally to date on Sunday afternoon at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of Thailand's capital.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau put the number of protesters at about 12,000, but a policeman on the ground told the Nikkei Asian Review that around 20,000 had turned out.

An experienced foreign observer at the scene estimated the crowd, which stretched into the streets leading off from the monument's large roundabout, to be approaching 25,000.

But even the lowest estimates made this by far the largest political gathering Thailand has seen since the military staged a coup in 2014.


Three-fingered salutes inspired by the film Hunger Games have been adopted as a form of silent protest against repressive government. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)

At least 600 policemen had been assigned to block access to the monument itself, and to patrol the surrounding areas, and they were in normal uniforms.

Activists have, however, been tailed by security officers in plain clothes in recent weeks. The police are believed to have 31 under surveillance and targeted for possible arrest.

On Friday, Parit Chiwarak from the Student Union of Thailand, was arrested by four policemen who struggled to manhandle his significant mass. Parit -- better known as Penguin -- was released on bail soon after Sunday's protest got going.

In the morning, about a hundred royalists held another rally at the same spot. One banner read: "You can chase anybody, but don't touch the Chakri dynasty" -- a reference to the 238-year-old House of Chakri that has ruled Thailand, formerly Siam, through ten reigns.

The current incumbent, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is also known as Rama X. He acceded in 2016 but is resident most of the time in Germany.

"I want leaders of the country to think of public benefits rather than themselves," said Bia a 38-year-old native of Surat Thani province, who travelled 500km to attend the rally.

Many protesters wore black t-shirts. They were joined by others in red shirts signaling their allegiance to Thaksin Shinawatra, the populist prime minister ousted by the military in a coup in 2006.

The demonstration was well organized, with cooked food and cold drinks available -- essential sustenance in the exceptionally humid monsoon climate.

A possible dampener on proceedings failed to materialize. The capital has seen heavy rain in recent weeks, mostly in the late afternoon and evening. Instead, as dusk approached, massive sunbeams from behind a cloud provided a spectacular backdrop to the art deco monument that in darker times past has been the scene of significant political violence.

As darkness approached, the overwhelmingly peaceful crowd sat on the street waving lights from their cell phones above their heads. Many stayed beyond the planned 9 p.m. ending.

Protesters occasionally gave trademark three-fingered salutes inspired by the film Hunger Games as an expression of silent rebuke to repressive government.


Bangkok's protesters on Sunday held up banners in different languages and chanted repeatedly: “Down with dictatorship! Long live democracy.” (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)

Free People was established on Aug. 7 to facilitate broader public support for political reforms. Three of the main demands being pressed are for an end to official harassment that inhibits people exercising their rights; rewriting contentious parts of the military-drafted constitution; and dissolving parliament.

The group has also called for an end to coups and national unity governments, and pointedly for a "democratic form of government with the monarch under the constitution."

"Once the constitution is rewritten, every true demand of the people will be spoken of and recognized," Free People said in a statement released on Wednesday. "Moreover, under the constitution, all are equal without any exception."

The constitution, Thailand's 20th since 1932, was drafted at the military's behest, and adopted after a national referendum in 2016. It gives 250 military-appointed senators a large say in choosing the prime minister, and an effective veto on constitutional reform.

There have recently been smaller protests in over 45 of the kingdom's 76 provinces. Originally protesters called for a change of government and constitutional reforms, and avoided open criticism of the monarchy.

Matters moved in a fresh direction on July 18 at a protest organized by Free Youth when human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa broke a major taboo and called for a public debate on the role of the kingdom's highest institution -- the monarchy.

The issue gained momentum on Monday at a protest at Thammasat University when ten proposed reforms to the monarchy were read out by Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, spokesperson for the Student Union of Thailand.

Sunday's speakers called again for broad reforms, including of the monarchy, but did not revisit the ten specific demands made at Thammasat. Instead, students mingled in the crowds to share their views.

The ten demands included revocation of the law of lese-majeste, a reduction in public spending on the royal family, a clearer distinction between royal and public assets, and abolition of the privy council along with other "unnecessary units." The Thammasat speech on Monday drew repeated applause.

Arnon appeared on stage on Sunday, and said: "Our mission is to transform Thailand to true democracy -- the mission should end with our generation.

The political discontent comes at a time of increasing economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia's second largest economy is expected to contract by 8.1% this year, according to the Bank of Thailand.

Students have tapped into public resentment by also drawing attention to a justice system that many feel affords impunity to the rich and powerful. Vorayuth Yoovidhya, grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, was accused of killing a police officer while intoxicated in a hit-and-run incident in 2012, but fled abroad before his arrest. The case was quietly dropped by the attorney general's office in January and news of his legal absolution only surfaced in July.

Authorities have already tried to clamp down on activists. Arnon was arrested on Aug. 7 on a variety of charges, including alleged sedition. He and a colleague were released last weekend on bail after some 200 students gathered outside the police station where they were being detained.

The recent arrests caught international attention. On Saturday, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Thai authorities to drop all charges and unconditionally release Parit. "Each new arrest of a peaceful prodemocracy activist shows the Thai government's authoritarian tendencies and lack of respect for human rights," it said.

"Thai authorities have routinely enforced censorship and gagged public discussions of rights, political reforms, and the monarchy," said HRW. It noted that Thailand became signatory in 1996 to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.


An elderly pro-democracy advocate in Bangkok on Sunday asserted her rights alongside predominantly much younger protesters. © AP

The Royal Thai Police deputy spokesperson, Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen, raised concerns on Thursday over the rallies, and said officers would be deployed to beef up security on Sunday.

Tanu Sukbamphoeng, a royalist lawyer, called for enforcement of the law of lese-majeste, which is meant to protect the monarchy from hurt. After proving counterproductive, the law fell out of use in 2017, and the authorities resorted to other control mechanisms, including the law of sedition and the Computer Crimes Act.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha talked about the rallies at a news conference on Thursday. He called on authorities to probe the financing of the protests and to identify their backers. He said that was standard procedure, and did not require specific orders from him.

Speaking on national television the same day, the prime minister struck a more conciliatory note. "Let the young lead the way and provide the moral leadership to show us all how to take the hard path of collaboration with people who may disagree with us during times of national hardship," he said.

According Traisuree Thaisaranakul, the deputy government spokesperson, Prayuth has told authorities to be patient and show restraint if goaded by protesters. He said forceful control measures were to be avoided, but also warned protesters not to violate the rights of others.

Prayuth has been running the country under a state of emergency since March during the COVID-19 outbreak. The emergency rule gives him power to limit normal rights, including freedom of assembly.

No local transmission of the virus has been detected in the past two months, and the prime minister has not so far invoked his emergency powers to contain the rallies.

The student-led activism has meanwhile been gaining traction. A group of 147 university faculty members from across the kingdom said the proposed reforms did not violate criminal law in relation to the king. "Thai society should learn to raise the ceiling of tolerance and converse with reason for the sustainability of democracy in society," the group said.

Another group of 358 scholars from the Thai Academic Network for Civil Rights also stood with the protesters. "Universities should remain a place where people can raise questions and seek peaceful solutions for society together," it said.

Some young Thai celebrities have voiced their support for freedom of speech on social media. Among them was the popular girl band BNK48.

"I respect Arnon's boldness in daring to speak out about the truth in public," said a 60-year-old noodle shop owner who attended with one of his children, a Thammasat student. "Power never truly belongs to the people -- Thailand has become like Myanmar in a way."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbul ... 2&si=44594

Thai protests grow on streets and online: Five things to know
Secondary school students show solidarity while Facebook group draws 1m members


Pro-democracy students raise three fingers, a gesture of resistance, during a protest rally in front of the Education Ministry in Bangkok on Aug. 19. © AP
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 21, 2020 18:41 JST

BANGKOK -- Youth-led pro-democracy protests have swept Thailand. Big or small, they occur almost every day somewhere in the kingdom, calling for broad reforms. At least 55 out of 76 provinces have had rallies since mid-July.

About 20,000 people gathered on Sunday at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of Bangkok, making it the biggest rally since a coup in 2014. Some protesters were not afraid to raise a debate on Thailand's long-standing taboo -- the role of the monarchy in politics and society.

What are the protesters' demands?

At Sunday's rally, organizer Free People presented three demands: the dissolution of both chambers of parliament, the rewriting of contentious parts of the constitution, and an end to official harassment that inhibits people from exercising their fundamental rights.

They said no coup should be staged and no national unity government should be formed in the future.

The tone of these requests was less radical than when 10 proposed reforms to the monarchy were read out by a spokesperson for another protester group, Student Union of Thailand, on Aug. 10 at Thammasat University. But the underlying message is the same: Allow Thailand to segue to a democratic form of government with the monarchy under the constitution.

The lighter tone made it easier for people to join the rally, and attendance swelled to about 20,000 people.

What drove people to the streets?

Political and judicial developments since the March 2019 general election have young people questioning if their say has been marginalized. Over 7.3 million voters under 25 years old took part in that election; it was their first opportunity to exercise voting rights.

Those who initiated the recent pro-democracy movements most likely cast ballots for Future Forward, a party founded in 2018 by 41-year-old billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. The party's pledge to update the constitution, cut the military budget and bring the military under civilian control resonated with discontented youth. Future Forward gained 6.3 million votes, or 17.8% of the ballots, and won 81 out of 500 lower house seats.

But the charismatic Thanathorn lost his parliamentary status in November 2019 after the Constitutional Court ruled he had violated laws prohibiting election candidates from owning shares in media companies. In February, the same court ordered the disbandment of Future Forward for illegally accepting funds from Thanathorn. While the authorities insist they were enforcing the law, young Thais saw something else, the muzzling of the progressive party and its leader.

Faith in the country's justice system further deteriorated in July, when the public became aware that a hit-and-run case against Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, had been quietly dropped by the attorney general's office back in January.

An economy pushed to the brink by the pandemic also has many Thais up in arms. It shrank by 12.2% during the three months ending June, compared with the same period the previous year.

How are these different from past rallies?

A willingness to challenge long-held taboos is the biggest difference between the recent rallies and past ones, and it has been fostered by the anonymous nature of the internet.

Thailand's history is filled with protests and coups. For about a decade up until the 2014 coup, the main protesters were so-called Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts. The Red Shirts were supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now a fugitive, and included many rural poor. The Yellow Shirts were concentrated in Bangkok and were seen as representing urban elites and the old status quo. Although their clashes often led to bloodshed, taboo subjects like the monarchy remained off-limits.

Students leading the current rallies are mostly from middle-class families. As children of the internet age with wider access to information, young adults wonder why their country has had 20 constitutions and 13 successful coups since 1932. Their realization has led to doubts about the nature of the country's politics.

Social media has also played an important role. Accounts of injustice, violence and abuse of power, which were often kept under wraps in the past, are in plain view online.

Is the movement gaining momentum?

To be sure, the 20,000 who showed up for Sunday's rally were far fewer than the crowds of 100,000 that the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts used to attract. But the movement should not be underestimated as the youth groups are still gaining support, online and off.

Secondary school students have begun to wear white ribbons and give three-fingered salutes during morning assembly. These are expressions of silent rebuke to the government.

Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers and scholars have stood with the movement, praising it for invoking a bold debate, and saying the students and protesters have only exercised their freedom of speech and have not violated laws.

Royalist Marketplace, a private Facebook group that openly discusses the role of Thailand's monarchy, reached 1 million subscribers on Wednesday, an increase of more than 40% from a month ago.

What happens next?

Free People has said it will give the current administration about a month to meet its requests. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday shrugged off the demands. On Wednesday, he reiterated that some are impossible to implement.


Police officers at the criminal courthouse in Bangkok. Thai police arrested nine pro-democracy activists in a crackdown on growing protests. © AP

The group said it will escalate the rallies if its demands are not met. Free People has not yet announced a date for its next rally but has revealed a plan to hold an overnight sit-in. Meanwhile, a group of Thammasat University students is set to organize a large protest for Sept. 19 at the university's Tha Phra Chan campus, located near the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

The government is expected to allow protests as long as they remain peaceful. According to Traisuree Thaisaranakul, the government's deputy spokesperson, Prayuth has told authorities to be patient and show restraint if goaded by protesters, and that forceful control measures are to be avoided. But he has also warned protesters not to violate the rights of others.

Thailand is currently under a state of emergency due to the pandemic, with Prayuth wielding a decree that gives him overwhelming power to limit people's rights while minimizing the cabinet's role. The prime minister, who led the 2014 coup, has not limited protesters' assembly rights in the name of the emergency decree.

But the authorities have charged those who have spoken at the protests with sedition. On Wednesday and Thursday, nine activists, including a member of hip-hop group Rap Against Dictatorship and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, were arrested. They were released on bail by Thursday night.

Putchapong Nodthaisong, spokesman for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, said the ministry will file a complaint against Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an associate professor at Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, for creating the Royalist Marketplace group. "We have filed a request to Facebook to delete the entire group, but the platform hasn't been cooperative," Putchapong said.

Prayuth on Wednesday chaired a special meeting of security agencies. According to a local report, the agencies were told to maintain order if the protests develop into unrest. In the past, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej often acted as a mediator during times of political strife. With the monarchy now being a subject of debate, it is uncertain how the current discord might shake out.

Hope more soldiers and police are like these 3

Reports of foreign residents getting involved. (If I lived in Thailand, I wouldn't.)

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... protesters