Thailand’s pro-democracy protests have drawn large numbers of students and other demonstrators to the streets, with protesters calling daily for the prime minister’s resignation, and the country’s parliament convened in a special session Monday (Oct. 26) to resolve the tensions.
However, when House Speaker Chuan Leekpai called the session to order, only 450 of the 731 members of the two chambers were present.
The student-led demonstrations in Bangkok and other cities had three main demands: that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha step down, that the constitution be amended to make it more democratic, and that the monarchy be reformed to make it more accountable.
In a country where the monarchy is considered sacrosanct and public criticism of the monarchy is unprecedented, the royalist party condemned the protesters for making this demand.
“For all the millions of people protesting in the streets and those who choose not to take to the streets, the only permanent solution is to discuss and resolve these differences through the parliamentary process,” Bayu said last week.
The meeting, which will not require a vote, is expected to last two days.
Protesters have no confidence in the solution proposed by the parliament, claiming that the government’s approach is insincere.
They point out that the Bayonne government’s discussion points for the debate have nothing to do with the protesters’ concerns and only criticize them.
Rather, the government is concerned about the risk of the spread of the coronavirus in rallies, the alleged disruption of the royal motorcade earlier this month by a group of individuals, and the illegal gathering and tarnishing of the royal family’s image.
Protesters claim that Prayuth, who led an army coup in 2014, returned to power in last year’s election in an unfair manner, as the law was changed to favor the military party. The protesters also said that the constitution, written and promulgated under military rule, is undemocratic.
Congress was scheduled to vote on six proposed constitutional amendments in September, but then formed a committee to further consider the proposals, and adjourned without result.
The constitutional changes require a joint vote in the House and Senate, but the proposals lacked support in the Senate, whose members are unelected, often very conservative and hostile to protesters.
Instead of confronting lawmakers and counter-protesters, pro-democracy protest organizers on Monday called on people to march to the German Embassy in the afternoon, in an apparent effort to remind people that King Maha Vajiralongkorn lives in Germany.
Germany’s foreign minister, who is being questioned by members of the Green Party in parliament, recently expressed his concern that the Thai king may be conducting political activities in Germany.
The protesters’ criticism of the royal family has angered conservative Thais. Self-proclaimed “defenders of the monarchy” mobilized last week online and at rallies in several cities, many led by local civil servants.
A small group of royalist demonstrators gathered outside parliament on Monday, saying they were there to let lawmakers know they oppose changes to the monarchy.
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