'End Lese Majeste': Thai protesters clash with police over Royal Defamation Law

Crowd of hundreds of protesters on February 13 clashed with the police in Thailand, demanding the release of 4 activists that were arrested on charges of insulting Thailand's king. Under Thailand’s draconian royal defamation law, those remanded in custody can be sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, according to ground reports, Thailand citizens, in defiance of the country’s sweeping lese-majesty rule, confronted the security forces after the pro-democratic movement organized to express solidarity with Myanmar turned violent. In the visuals of the march that emerged, the police was seen using water cannons at angry citizens as they pushed through the metal barriers, throwing objects at the police, while riot geared officers, in turn, shot at the protesters with rubber bullets. A smoke canister blasted at the scene, according to the visuals shot by local press reporters. 

[A pro-democracy protester flashes the three-finger protest gesture during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok. Credit: AP]

Protest leader, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, told AP sources that the demonstrators had congregated in large numbers, once again, to reform Thailand’s powerful monarchy and break the traditional taboos. As many as 1,000 protesters were seen marching against the law, chanting "free our friends" and "abolish 112” slogans and flashing placards, many of whom also banged pots with 112 [article of the criminal code] emblazoned on it. Thailand had been witnessing a civilian uprising for over several months, with a student-led pro-democracy mob demanding the country's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha and the administration to step down. Citizens have also demanded constitutional reforms and the end of the monarchy. Despite the police declaring the marches ‘illegal’ under the law, thousands have been taking streets to oppose the institution that they described flared ‘Thai nationalism’.

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Read: Myanmar Army Issues Arrest Warrant Against 7 People Over Social Media Comments

20 police officers injured

Thailand’s Police deputy spokesperson, Krissana Pattanacharoen, told local press reporters that more than 20 police were wounded as a scuffle broke out between security forces and the protesters. Nearly 7 to 8 among those protesting were detained for breaching the price lines. Protesters had marched to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine, the capital’s symbolic spiritual center, however, were halted by at least 100 law enforcement officers backing two water cannon. Aggravated demonstrators, at this point, threw bottles and smoke bombs at the police as the situation spiralled out of control. 

[A pro-democracy protester flashes the three-finger protest gesture during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok. Credit: AP]

[Pro-democracy protesters form a line as they try to march forward during a rally in Bangkok. Credit: AP]

[Pro-democracy protesters flash the three-finger protest gesture during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok. Credit: AP]

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