Hundreds of activists defied a ban on protests and marched in Thailand’s capital on Saturday in a rare rally against the hard-line ruling military.
lines of police stood by as a crowds of people chanting “no dictatorship”, some carrying anti-junta banners, marched peacefully on Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, against the orders of a government widely condemned for using draconian measures to silence detractors.
The protest was to mark the ninth anniversary of a coup against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra that many Thais see as the trigger for an intractable conflict that is showing no signs of abating. The demonstrators attended a forum at Bangkok’s Thammasat University which the Government allowed to take place, but permission was denied for their march beyond its walls.
Though the gathering pales in comparison to the mass rallies that have plagued Thailand, protests have been rare since the generals overthrew the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, in a coup in May last year. The military has been criticised by the West for rounding up hundreds of activists, some for demonstration of
just a few people. Many,
including journalists and politicians, have been forced to attend “attitude adjustment” sessions at Army bases.
“Peoples’ rights have been taken away, too many have been detained,” said Montra Thongsuksan, a demonstrator carrying a sign saying “return power to the people”.