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Solution fired at protesters contained 4 types of tear gas: analysis (nationthailand.com)

Solution fired at protesters contained 4 types of tear gas: analysis

PoliticsNov 21. 2020

By THE NATION

A sample of the solution police fired at pro-democracy protesters on Tuesday has tested positive for four different chemicals which burn the eyes and skin.

Riot police fired the solution from water cannons at Kiak Kai Intersection, during a confrontation with protesters who were seeking to rally outside Parliament on the first day of charter-change deliberations.

Protesters and journalists hit by the solution suffered stinging eyes and skin, as well as breathing problems. Many needed hospital treatment.

The effects prompted questions over what chemicals police had used in the solution.

On Friday, Weerachai Phutdhawong, a Kasetsart University chemistry professor, announced results of his analysis of a sample of the solution used on Tuesday.

The results showed five chemicals, as well as a dye that turned the solution purple.

The five substances were dimethyl sulfoxide, 2-Chlorobenzaldehyde, 2-Chlorobenzyl alcohol, 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, and o-Chlorobenzylmalononitrile.

The first in the list was a solvent for the chemical mixture, said Weerachai.

The other four all belong to the tear gas group of chemicals, he said.

The second chemical, 2-Chlorobenzaldehyde, burns the skin and damages the eye, he explained.

“When people come into contact with it, it irritates their cornea and conjunctiva, making them cry. It can also cause other effects, such as a runny nose, coughing, or breathing difficulties,” he added.

The third chemical, 2-Chlorobenzyl alcohol, causes irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory system.

The fourth, 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, is commonly known as CS gas – the defining component of tear gas used in riot control operations. The fifth chemical has the same irritant properties as the others.

The professor explained that all the four substances came under the tear-gas chemical group. However, it was enough to use only one of them for crowd-control purposes, he added.

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Yellow shirts scrub protesters’ paint off police HQ, road (nationthailand.com)

Yellow shirts scrub protesters’ paint off police HQ, road

PoliticsNov 20. 2020

By THE NATION

Pro-government yellow-shirt volunteers gathered in front of Royal Thai Police Headquarters in Bangkok on Friday morning to clean paint stains and graffiti left by the previous cleaning operation on Thursday.

On Wednesday, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong Intersection, surrounded the headquarters, and threw paint all over its walls.

The action was a protest against a crackdown by police on Tuesday, when officers fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators seeking to rally outside Parliament.

Photos of the yellow-shirt volunteers painting over graffiti scribbled by protesters on Rama I Road outside the headquarters were shared online. Some social media users accused the volunteers of defacing the road by using white paint instead of black to cover the graffiti.

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‘Bad Student’ group gets ready to hit govt ‘dinosaurs’ with ‘meteors’ on Saturday (nationthailand.com)

‘Bad Student’ group gets ready to hit govt ‘dinosaurs’ with ‘meteors’ on Saturday

PoliticsNov 20. 2020

By The Nation

The “Bad Student” group said in a Facebook post on Thursday that they will hold an anti-government protest, under the theme “Meteor Strikes Dinosaurs”, in Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection on Saturday.

They said the aim of the rally is to remind lawmakers that if they don’t change their dinosaur-like outdated mindsets, they will be hit by meteors.

“We demanded reforms in the education sector, but these dinosaurs did not respond. So, we [the students] will say everything these dinosaurs don’t want to hear,” the group said.

The group has been demanding that the Education Ministry address the issue of abuse at school, cancel outdated regulations and reform the schooling system, or that the education minister resign if the ministry cannot meet their demands.

Bad Student is a collection of high-school students and student organisations from 50 educational institutes nationwide.

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Claim of immates raising three-finger salute during anthem ‘not true’ (nationthailand.com)

Claim of immates raising three-finger salute during anthem ‘not true’

PoliticsNov 20. 2020Sitthi Suthiwong (File Photo) 

By THE NATION

A senior Department of Corrections official has dismissed the claims of a pro-democracy leader that inmates were making the three-finger salute during the national anthem.

Referring to a speech given by Panupong “Mike Rayong” Chadnok during a political rally on Wednesday (November 18) at the Ratchaprasong intersection, Sitthi Suthiwong, deputy director-general, said that it was not true that all inmates were making the three-finger salute during the national anthem.

Panupong said that during his time at Bangkok Remand Prison, he found the inmates were not standing up during the royal anthem, and when the national anthem was played everyone was making the three-finger salute, a sign of resistance against oppression and dictatorship.

“All inmates at the prison are still paying respect to the nation, religion and monarchy,” the official said. “They stand in a row at 8am every day to pay their respects to the national flag, while the national anthem is played,” he said. “Inmates also express their gratitude to the royal kindness of His Majesty the King, who remains in the heart of every Thai citizen.”

Panupong was arrested on October 17 and detained for sedition and altering a historic site, a result of his participation in the September 19-20 protest at Sanam Luang.

Panupong and three leading figures of the pro-democracy protests were ordered to be freed on October 30 after the Criminal Court declined to grant a third request by police to detain them for further interrogation.

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Police struggle to wash off stains

PoliticsNov 19. 2020

By THE NATION

The paint stains were still obvious at an entrance to Royal Thai Police Headquarters, despite serious cleaning efforts this morning

On Wednesday, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong Intersection and surrounded the headquarters.

Tins of paint were splashed all over the walls in a protest against a crackdown the day before, when riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators outside Parliament.

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Don’t abandon your rights by staying silent, former beauty queen says

PoliticsNov 19. 2020Chayathanus Saradatta 

By THE NATION

Former Miss Universe Thailand contender Chayathanus “Cheraim” Saradatta said on Wednesday that staying silent in the middle of a political conflict is the same as abandoning one’s rights as a citizen.

The model had joined the pro-democracy rally in Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection on Wednesday evening, and when asked by protesters to comment on those choosing to stay neutral, she said “the news you [neutral people] consume may not be enough”.

She said people should look at news from both sides, to see what is really happening in the country.

“If nothing was happening, 10,000 to 100,000 people would not be taking to the streets. Yes, 100,000 is small compared to 66 million people, but it is still a huge number,” she said.

Chayathanus added that she wished she had joined the red-shirt protest against dictatorship several years ago.

“I did not pay attention then, and it was too late when I realised what had happened. It is sad if you don’t make decisions about your own life. I can’t tell you if your decision will be right or wrong in the next 10 or 20 years, but it’s still better than being neutral. Being neutral means you have abandoned your rights today,” she said.

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People with different opinions must be allowed to speak freely: PEN International

PoliticsNov 19. 2020

By The Nation

Thai Centre – PEN International issued a statement on Wednesday calling on all parties involved in the political conflict to respect freedom of expression.

PEN International is a global association of writers that was created in 1921 to campaign for freedom of expression and uphold literature as a force of culture.

The statement said clashes between people with different viewpoints are escalating, and to avoid losses, the centre would like to ask all parties to stop using all types of violence, while the police should take care of people equally.

“The government, press, organisations and universities should create an atmosphere that allows people with different viewpoints to exchange their opinions based on reason and fact, without any hidden interests.”

The centre emphasised that backing opinions with fact and reason is key to solving violence and conflict in society.

“We hope all parties will pay respect to freedom of expression to maintain peace under a democratic system based on people’s safety and the country’s benefits,” the statement added.

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Royalist admits he took gun to Tuesday rally, denies using it

PoliticsNov 19. 2020

By THE NATION

A royalist confessed he brought a weapon to the rally site at Kiak Kai intersection on Tuesday, but denied using it when monarchists and pro-democracy protesters began clashing.

The groups clashed twice that day and both times guns were pulled out resulting in five people sustaining gunshot wounds.

News reports on Wednesday said Kasidit Leelamuktanun, 35, was arrested by soldiers and sent to Bangkok’s Tao Poon Police Station. The man had reportedly hidden his revolver in the rally site and was caught red-handed when he tried to retrieve it.

Police said on Thursday that Kasidit confessed he owned the revolver and 10 bullets, claiming he had taken the gun to the rally for self-protection.

Police have sent his weapon to the Forensic Science division to determine if it was used in the clash, and have charged the suspect of possessing and carrying a weapon to a public place without permission.

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Protesters in tense face off with police at Ratchaprasong

PoliticsNov 18. 2020

By THE NATION

Pro-democracy protesters began massing for a rally at Ratchaprasong Intersection at 4pm today, on the second day of demonstrations over charter-change motions before Parliament.

Protesters deployed on Ratchadamri Road, near CentralWorld and Big-C department stores, blocking the route from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital to Pratunam.

Protest leaders condemned yesterday’s police operation at Kiak Kai intersection near Parliament, where riot police fired tear gas and water cannon but appeared to abandon the scene when yellow-shirt activists clashed with the pro-democracy protesters.

At 4.15pm, police who tried to convince demonstrators to call off the Ratchaprasong rally received a sarcastic response.

“We cannot hold a rally because we are not wearing yellow shirts, right?” said one student.

Netizens have accused police of using double standards to crack down on anti-government protests while being lenient towards yellow-shirt counter-protests.

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Human rights lawyers to sue police for ‘failure’ to protect protesters outside Parliament

PoliticsNov 18. 2020

By THE NATION

A group of human-right lawyer said it will sue police for abandoning the scene of clashes between rival groups of pro-democracy and royalist protesters near Parliament on Tuesday.

The potential for violence at Kiak Kai Intersection, where police officers set up barriers, was obvious before Tuesday’s clashes, said the human rights lawyers in a letter addressed to the chiefs of the Royal Thai Police and Metropolitan Police.

“However, as was presented in newspapers and other media, police officers left their stations abruptly, leaving people from the two groups to confront each other. The first battle took place around 5pm, and another on 8pm, without any intervention by police. The result of this action was that five people suffered gunshot wounds,” the letter said.

The letter accused the police of neglecting their duty and endangering life, in violation of the criminal code.

It warned police chiefs not to allow a repeat of the negligence today at the pro-democracy rally at Ratchaprasong Intersection.

Any repetition will prove that police are seeking to deprive protesters of their rights by using a rival group as a tool against them, the letter added.