Thousands of protesters gathered in the streets of Bangkok and other provinces on Sunday to participate in Thailand’s largest “car mob” rally to date. The demonstrators gathered to pressurise Prime Minister (PM) Prayuth Chan-o-cha to resign amid anger against his government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The car mob rallies, including motorists, converged at key locations, including the Ratchaprasong and Lat Phrao intersections. The protesters stopped outside buildings associated with Cabinet members or supporters of the PM to make speeches and call for his resignation, accusing the government of mismanaging the pandemic and abusing its power to silence critics.
During the day, the protesters carried red flags, honked their horns and tied red ribbons on their vehicles as they moved peacefully in several large convoys through the city. However, in the evening, some protesters clashed with authorities by shooting fireworks and flinging projectiles to defend against riot police, who used rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to control the mob.
In recent weeks, clashes between police and protesters have turned violent. Protesters have used bricks and fireworks at crowd control officers while authorities have responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse agitators in front of Prayuth’s residence.
The police have defended these tactics by saying that they have complied with international standards. Police also said that the use of force is necessary in situations that require maintaining public order. “We need to maintain the law and keep the peace,” police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk said, without specifying whether the police intend to use force.
Suwat also revealed that more than 130 people had been arrested for participating and organising the latest round of anti-government protests since mid-July. Protest leaders who were jailed for participating in previous demonstrations had been released on bail but have gone back into custody recently. The leaders include Panupong “Mike Rayong” Jadnok, Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa and Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak. Last week, human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa also faced new charges, including a violation of Thailand’s lese majeste law that makes defamation of the monarchy illegal.
Calls for the PM to resign have been growing louder and increasingly frequent in Thailand. Consequently, anti-government protests continue even as the authorities have banned public gatherings under the COVID-19 emergency act. The Sunday “car mob” rally was the fifth protest in the past week.
Human Rights Watch reported that mismanagement of the pandemic in Thailand has resulted in only 26% of the population getting the first vaccine dose and only 7.4% being fully vaccinated. In April, the government announced a plan to provide vaccines for 70% of the country’s 65 million people by the end of the year. Currently, hospitals are rapidly filling up, and supplies of life-saving Favipiravir medicine and oxygen, among other things, are running low and becoming “prohibitively expensive.”
Moreover, unemployment is rising as the lockdown continues and several businesses have closed. In this scenario, government remedies for the economic impacts of the pandemic have proven inadequate, leading to public anger.
‘Car Mob’ Convoy in Thailand Demands Resignation of PM Prayuth
Thai police clashed with protesters who demanded PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s resignation over his government’s mishandling of the pandemic for the fifth time in the past week.
August 16, 2021
SOURCE: TPN