Relatives of victims, along with academics, students and a few politicians attended activities in Bangkok to mark the 41st anniversary of the Oct 14, 1973 uprising on Tuesday.
A participant in the Oct 14, 1973 uprising remembrance event is laying a garland to remember the sacrifice of demonstrators at the October 14 Memorial on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, Bangkok, on Tuesday. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
The remembrance began at the October 14 Memorial at Khok Wua intersection on Tuesday morning. There were religious ceremonies to make merit for the spirits of pro-democracy demonstrators killed in the crackdown on Oct 14, 1973.
A discussion on the uprising and political reform was scheduled at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus on Tuesday afternoon.
Present at the morning ceremony at the memorial were relatives of victims, representatives of activists and students, Surachai Liengboonlertchai, vice president of the National Legislative Assembly, Amara Pongsapich, chair of the National Human Rights Commission, Teerapat Serirangsan, chairman of the Political Development Council, Democrat Party deputy leader Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, and PM's Office Minister MR Panadda Diskul.
On behalf of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, MR Panadda praised the sacrifice of the Oct 14, 1973 demonstrators and encouraged people to join forces to develop true democracy in the country instead of the "so-called democracy" that caused disunity.
On Oct 14, 1973, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against the dictatorship of then prime minister Field Marshal Thanom Kittikhachorn on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, and were attacked by security forces.