Historic protests in Thailand against army-backed state gain pace
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Bangkok — Mostly student protesters in Thailand are stepping up pressure on the military-backed government, with calls for greater democracy and less power for the monarchy — a potentially explosive demand just as leaders struggle to handle the country’s worst economic crisis to date.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered again on Monday as part of near-daily gatherings across Thailand, which have gained momentum after the arrests of top leaders who have since been released on bail. They reiterated a rare public call last week by one of those arrested, Arnon Nampa, for rolling back measures that increased the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn since he took the throne in 2016.
Some groups have also demanded the government rewrite the constitution by the end of September to disband the military-appointed Senate and change election laws to make them more democratic, after which the government would resign and hold a new vote. While Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha had earlier made some conciliatory statements and expressed an openness to changing the constitution, on Tuesday he expressed concern about the demonstrations.
“Many issues that were raised can’t just be solved within one or two days, or one month,” he told reporters, without commenting on the demand for overhauling the monarchy. “There are so many people waiting for the government to help with their problems, not just the youth. Is what they’re doing appropriate?”
The grassroots nature of the protests are unusual for Thailand, where demonstrations over the past two decades have largely been backed by powerful political actors such as former elected leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his rivals in the royal establishment. That presents a potentially greater challenge for Prayuth, a former army chief who led a 2014 coup and stayed in charge after a disputed election last year conducted under rules written by his military government.
‘It’s historic’
“The government has no idea how to deal with it,” said Kevin Hewison, an expert in Thai politics and an emeritus professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It has evolved into the first movement that directly links the monarchy to the regime. It’s historic. It’s never been done before.”
Still, the arrests of Arnon and another protest leader on Friday over a July 18 rally, which was then the biggest protest since the lockdown began, appeared to generate fresh momentum for the demonstrations. Over the weekend, a flash mob in central Bangkok ...
Thousands of demonstrators gathered again on Monday as part of near-daily gatherings across Thailand, which have gained momentum after the arrests of top leaders who have since been released on bail. They reiterated a rare public call last week by one of those arrested, Arnon Nampa, for rolling back measures that increased the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn since he took the throne in 2016.
Some groups have also demanded the government rewrite the constitution by the end of September to disband the military-appointed Senate and change election laws to make them more democratic, after which the government would resign and hold a new vote. While Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha had earlier made some conciliatory statements and expressed an openness to changing the constitution, on Tuesday he expressed concern about the demonstrations.
“Many issues that were raised can’t just be solved within one or two days, or one month,” he told reporters, without commenting on the demand for overhauling the monarchy. “There are so many people waiting for the government to help with their problems, not just the youth. Is what they’re doing appropriate?”
The grassroots nature of the protests are unusual for Thailand, where demonstrations over the past two decades have largely been backed by powerful political actors such as former elected leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his rivals in the royal establishment. That presents a potentially greater challenge for Prayuth, a former army chief who led a 2014 coup and stayed in charge after a disputed election last year conducted under rules written by his military government.
‘It’s historic’
“The government has no idea how to deal with it,” said Kevin Hewison, an expert in Thai politics and an emeritus professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It has evolved into the first movement that directly links the monarchy to the regime. It’s historic. It’s never been done before.”
Still, the arrests of Arnon and another protest leader on Friday over a July 18 rally, which was then the biggest protest since the lockdown began, appeared to generate fresh momentum for the demonstrations. Over the weekend, a flash mob in central Bangkok ...
