Thai demonstrations continue Prayut willing to talk
Thai demonstrations continue Prayut willing to talk Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan Oucha said on the 19th that the government will not extend the state of emergency outside the capital Bangkok.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital Bangkok in the rain on the 18th and held large-scale anti-government demonstrations for the fifth consecutive day. Prayut expressed his willingness to listen to the voice of the people and respect the right to protest.
Government statement downgrade
Government spokesman Anucha said in a statement on the evening of the 18th that Prayut is concerned about the spreading demonstrations and reiterated that
“the government is willing to listen to everyone’s problems and continue to solve problems in all areas”.
At the same time, Prayut emphasized that demonstrators must abide by the law, worried that those with intentions “incited violence”, and ordered law enforcement agencies to be wary of
“illegal groups” using demonstrations to gain political benefits for themselves.
Compared with Prayut’s statement a few days ago, this statement has been downgraded.
“Bangkok Post”
reported that the police used high-pressure water jets to disperse the demonstrators on the 16th, causing Prayut to bear public criticism.
Anucha told a Reuters reporter: “The government hopes to have dialogue and work together to find a way out.”
On the 18th, demonstrators continued to move their gathering points to occupy transportation hubs such as the
Victory Monument and the Asoke business district.
The police sent a large number of police officers to maintain order, and the demonstrators
distributed equipment in preparation to resist the police dispersal.
But there was no physical conflict between the two parties. Outside of Bangkok, similar demonstrations also occurred in about 20 Thai provinces that day.
Congress intends to relieve public grievances
Bloomberg reported that Thailand’s Parliament Chairman and Speaker of the House of Commons
Chuan Rippai consulted with members of the ruling and opposition parties on the 19th to
discuss whether to convene a special meeting before the resumption of the parliament on
November 1 to try to ease the wave of anti-government demonstrations.
Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra posted a message on social networking sites on the 18th, calling on Prayut to take appropriate measures as soon as possible to quell the demonstrations. According to Yingluck, in the second half of 2013, large-scale street demonstrations broke out in Thailand. The then army commander Prayut asked if she could continue to lead the government. In the end, she chose to dissolve the lower house of parliament, make an early election, and return the choice to the people.
At that time, Prayut denied exerting any influence on the political situation. In May of the following year, he launched a coup and took over the regime.
Yingluck wrote, “Today, Prayut is also facing the same situation”, hoping that the other party “can remember the scene of the year and make a decision as soon as possible so that the country can calm down, restore order as soon as possible and move on.”
The situation is unclear
Singapore’s “Lianhe Zaobao” published an editorial on the 19th, saying that the political situation in Thailand is rapidly deteriorating. Thailand’s political situation has been unstable for more than 20 years, but now this movement poses a greater threat to the current government. According to the article, compared with previous street demonstrations, the range of initiators and participants in this round of demonstrations has expanded and become more grassroots and younger.
The new round of anti-government demonstrations has lasted for three months. Although the Thai government implemented a state of emergency and arrested dozens of protest organizers, there is still no ebb. The demonstrators demanded that the Prayut government step down, amend the constitutional provisions that benefit the current regime, and publicly criticized the royal family. Demonstrators surrounded the convoy of Queen Suthida at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok on the 14th. “Lianhe Zaobao” said that this was an unprecedented behavior, showing that the demonstrations have further escalated.
Prayut declared a state of emergency in the Bangkok area on the 15th. The demonstration continues, and it is difficult to determine when it will end. According to the analysis of Lianhe Zaobao, it is not necessarily the watershed moment that determines Thailand’s political situation. The direction of the situation will also depend on the game of political forces of all parties. (Hu Ruoyu) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)
