Rianthong Nanna, the director of Mongkutwattana Hospital and a royalist leader, led other royalists on Thursday to assemble before Government Complex in Bangkok.
The royalists sang the national anthem, as well as royal celebration songs, before dispersing.
During their gathering, a man showed a sign that incensed the royalists there. A scuffle erupted before police officers took the man away from the group.
Photo by Korbphuk Phromrekha
On Wednesday, a group of royalists and student protesters clashed during a pro-democracy rally at the university. Some students were injured when some members of a yellow-shirt group threw a big speaker at them.
Police said on Thursday that so far they have not been able to identify the offenders, and would be summoning the injured persons to point out the attackers.
In a discussion on Thursday about the ongoing anti-government protests, Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said this was not the right time for rallies, because the Thai economy has only just started pulling out of the downturn brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak.
He said the International Monetary Fund has only just revised its growth forecast for Thailand from a drop of 7.7 per cent to 7.1 per cent this year.
Meanwhile, the central bank’s debt extension starting to move in a favourable direction with some 94 per cent of the debtors restructuring their debts or negotiating new repayment terms.
He said that though the new generation is prioritising charter amendments and democracy, they should understand that the country’s priority now is economic recovery and people’s safety.
“For them, amendments to the Constitution take precedence, but for us, we are looking for an economic recovery plan, preventing a second wave of Covid-19 infections and maintaining political stability. We all have the duty to maintain stability so we can safely pull out of this crisis,” he said.
Huamark Police Station has launched a manhunt for the yellow-shirt royalists who injured student protesters at Ramkhamhaeng University’s Huamark campus on Wednesday.
A group of royalists had a skirmish with student protesters rallying at the university, and some students were injured when some members of the yellow-shirt group threw a big speaker at them.
The clash was quickly defused by officers at the scene.
Police have said that so far they have not been able to identify the offenders, and will summon the injured persons to point out the attackers.
Members of the Ramkhamhaeng Network for Democracy group were scheduled to file a complaint with Huamark Police Station on Thursday afternoon.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, human rights activist Angkhana Neelaphaijit said the solution Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha proposed on Wednesday evening was insincere and two-faced, because the government always says one thing and does another.
In a televised address, Prayut urged protesters to step back from a “path that would lead to the country’s downfall” and promised to lift the “severe” state of emergency in the capital if nothing serious takes place.
“The arrest of protest leader Passarawalee Thanakijwibulpol of the Mahanakorn for Democracy Group on Wednesday night raises questions about the operation of undercover police,” said the former member of the National Human Rights Commission.
“The authorities should have issued a summons instead of arresting a woman in the middle of the night without presenting any official ID. This is in clear violation of International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, to which Thailand is a signatory.
“The police spokesperson also spread false information when she announced on Wednesday that the suspension of BTS services was a cooperation between BTS and the Royal Thai Police. Later, BTS announced that they were ordered by the National Police chief to suspend train services during the protests,” Angkhana said.
“Police also have yet to explain what chemical was mixed in the water that they sprayed on protesters at Pathumwan intersection on October 16.
“If the government genuinely wants to step back from the brink, they need to revoke the state of emergency immediately and release all protest leaders that have been arrested, while PM must admit that he made a mistake in handling the situation,” said Angkhana.
Angkhana also cited UN Special Rapporteur in Freedom of Association Clement Voule, who has called on the government to refrain from using force against peaceful protesters, because “peaceful protest is not a crime but a democratic means for people to express their grievances and demands”.
Prayut announced that the state of emergency was being lifted as of noon on Thursday.
Many royalist groups nationwide said they would hold gatherings to swear loyalty to the Monarchy.
The schedule is as follows:
October 22
Ratchaburi: Sanamya Market in Mueang district at 3.09pm.
Pattani: Culture yard in Mueang district at 3pm.
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya: King U-Thong Monument at 4pm.
October 23
Trang: Governor’s House at 5.30pm.
Nakhon Pathom: Chalerm Prakiat Hall in Nakhon Chai Si district at 9.30am.
Saraburi: Old City Hall at 5pm.
Songkhla: Saba Yoi District Office at 1pm, Hat Yai district office at 5pm, and Hat Yai park at 6.09pm.
Chaiyaphum: Chao Pho Phraya Lae Monument at 5pm.
Nakhon Si Thammarat: Sichon District Office at 9.30am.
Chanthaburi: City Hall at 5pm.
Phang Nga: Old City Hall at 5pm.
Phichit: Old City Hall in Mueang District at 5.30pm.
Chiang Mai: Three Kings Monument at 4pm.
Chumphon: Mueang District Office at 5pm.
October 24
Surat Thani: Naris Bridge in Mueang district at 3pm.
October 25
Rayong: Rayong City Hall at 6pm.
Nakhon Si Thammarat: Pavilion in Khu Khwang-Tha Wang Khet 3 Community at 5pm.
Yala: Suan Khwan Mueang in Yala City Municipality at 5pm.
October 27
Bangkok: King Rama VI Monument in Lumpini Park at 5pm.
October 31
Bangkok: King Ramkhamhaeng Square in Ramkhamhaeng University’s Huamark campus at 4pm.
Critics claim many of the royalists have been recruited by state officials, while some pictures and a clip on social media have shown “yellow-shirt” activists making the three-finger salute, demonstrating their support for the youth-led democracy movement.
Pro-democracy activist Sombat Boonngamanong said on his Facebook page on Thursday that he has received summons from police because they claimed he had asked protesters to shout “Prayut, resign!”
The activist said that when he called police to ask why he received the summons, the police explained that he had asked people to shout the words from a skywalk, which links to Asok BTS station.
However, Sombat posted on his page that a person on the skywalk first shouted “Prayut” and then those under the skywalk responded with the word “resign”.
The activist claimed that he was not concerned about being prosecuted. He did not specify on which date the incident took place.
According to the summons, Sombat must visit Thong Lor Police Station next Tuesday (October 27) at 1pm.
Crime Suppression Division officers arrested Passarawalee Thanakijwibulpol, a pro-democracy protester from the Mahanakorn for Democracy Group, on Wednesday night for violating the emergency decree.
She was among a procession of protesters who submitted a resignation letter for the prime minister to sign. The letter was handed to the premier’s deputy secretary for political affairs Prateep Keeratirekha.
The arrest came after a warrant was granted by the Pathumwan Municipal Court.
According to a report, Passarawalee said she was not scared of being prosecuted but the arrest was unfair.
She was sent to Border Patrol Police Region 1 in Pathum Thani.
Police have asked the court for 11 more warrants to arrest leaders of those who participated in the political rally at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong Intersection on October 15.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Pakkapong Pongpetra accepted a letter from representatives of the Ratsadon protester group at 9.25pm on Wednesday that urged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign.
The protesters gathered yesterday at Chamai Maruchet Bridge on Phitsanulok Road in front of Government House in Dusit district.
An excerpt from the letter read: “We have marched to Government House today to give the government an ultimatum. General Prayut must resign while the legal prosecution against arrested protest leaders must be stopped. We will give the government three days to comply or we will come back and increase the level of protest.”
The demonstrators had also prepared a resignation letter for the prime minister to sign, and handed it to Prateep Keeratirekha, the deputy secretary to the prime minister for political affairs.
After submitting the letter, the protesters dispersed peacefully at 9.30pm.
Law deans urge court to revoke ‘severe’ state of emergency
PoliticsOct 22. 2020Pro-democracy protesters in Bangkok continue to protest against the government on Wednesday. Photo by Tanachai Pramarnpanich #NationPhoto
By Wichit Chaitrong The Nation
Law faculty deans from Thammasat, Chulalongkorn, Prince of Songkla, and Chiang Mai universities have sent an open letter to the presidents of Parliament and the Supreme Court urging the court to overrule the state of emergency imposed by the government on October 15.
The move comes after opposition parties, students and civil groups filed lawsuits against the emergency order, which the government used to crack down on peaceful protesters. The protesters are demanding the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government, a new Constitution and reform of the monarchy. Dozens of protest leaders have been arrested in the past two weeks, many of them still in jail after being refused bail.
The four deans argued that the unprecedented scale of the protests indicates that existing political solutions are not sustainable in the long term.
Student-led protests have spread across the country, drawing support from people of all ages, they observed. The calls for fundamental change to the legal and political system and genuine public participation in national reform had drawn both support and opposition from across Thai society, the deans noted. Although the demands were deemed illegal by the government and might wound the feelings of those who disagree, protesters had a genuine intention to help Thailand develop and overcome political conflict sustainably. Their freedom of expression is also protected by the Constitution and international norms, said the academics.
They also pointed out that many law professionals had voiced opposition to the severe state of emergency imposed in Bangkok, calling it unwarranted. By law, the emergency decree can only be invoked for cases of terrorism or other serious violence. The state of emergency limits media freedom and permits authorities to detain suspects without charges for up to 30 days. As well as grossly violating people’s rights, it would not lead to a peaceful political solution, the law deans said.
The state of emergency has not stopped large numbers of protesters gathering across the country, they observed. The protests had also been peaceful, with only minor confrontations between pro-democracy demonstrators and other groups that did nothing to damage their legitimacy as peaceful assemblies. This showed that the state of emergency is unnecessary and goes against the Constitution and international norms, they said. Therefore, it should be cancelled immediately and the government should use normal laws to deal with the situation.
The four deans urged the court to scrutinise the executive branch in line with the balance of power between the government, the judiciary and Parliament. The court had a duty to protect the rights of the people, they said. Parliament should also be used as a mechanism for solving political conflict peacefully, the four deans added.
Royalists clash with pro-democracy protesters in Bangkok
PoliticsOct 21. 2020Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
By The Nation
Royalists skirmished with student-led protesters rallying at Ramkhamhaeng University’s Huamark campus on Wednesday.
Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
A royalist group had gathered at the university and declared it wanted to protect the monarchy from groups it said were inciting people without presenting the facts.
Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
The clash was quickly defused by police, but protesters led by the Ramkhamhaeng Network for Democracy decided to file a complaint and hold a rally in front of Huamark Police Station. They also pleaded for protection from the university’s board.
Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Protesters said a secretary to Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam and a close friend of former People’s Democratic Reform Committee leader Suthep Thaugsuban were among the royalist they encountered.
Photo by Korbphuk Phromrekha 
Sombat Boonngamanong 
Passarawalee Thanakijwibulpol 
Pro-democracy protesters in Bangkok continue to protest against the government on Wednesday. Photo by Tanachai Pramarnpanich #NationPhoto 
Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit 
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