Participants condemn the military government for using draconian measures to silence detractors.
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| The military has been criticised by the international community for rounding up hundreds of activists [Reuters] |
19 Sep 2015 AJ
Hundreds
of Thai protesters have defied a ban on demonstrations and marched in
Thailand's capital in a rare rally against the country’s military
government.
Lines
of police stood by as crowds of people chanted "no dictatorship" and
carried anti-junta banners, marching peacefully in central Bangkok on
Saturday.
The protesters condemned the government for using draconian measures to silence detractors.
The
protest also marked the ninth anniversary of a previous coup against
the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that many
Thais see as the trigger for an intractable conflict that is showing no
signs of abating.
Protests
have been rare since the generals overthrew the government of Yingluck
Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, in a the latests coup in the country in
May last year.
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.
"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".
"I
have to show solidarity, against the military. I'm scared, but I'm
willing to march to show we won't give up," he told the Reuters news
agency.
'Attitude adjustment'
The
military has been criticised by the international community 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.
Thailand
has been caught in a dilapidating tug-of-war between supporters of the
politically dominant Shinawatra family and a royalist military backed by
a network of old-money conservatives whose influence is being
challenged.
The
military will not cede power soon; Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha,
the general who staged the coup said last week an election could take
place in July 2017.
The
timeframe was pushed back about a year after a military-appointed panel
on September 6 rejected a draft constitution in a vote many analysts
believe the top brass may have influenced to prolong its rule.
There
was no uniformed military presence at the rally and police, who
estimated 400 attended, made no obvious attempt to stop it.
"We are observing, to keep things in order," the commanding officer, Major General Pongpan Wannapak, told Reuters.
Source: Reuters
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