Police block marchers from leaving Thammasat

Police block marchers from leaving Thammasat

Police and demonstrators confront each other on Na Phra Lan Road in front of Thammasat University in Bangkok Tuesday morning. (Photos by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Police and demonstrators confront each other on Na Phra Lan Road in front of Thammasat University in Bangkok Tuesday morning. (Photos by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

Police blocked the Na Phra Lan Road in front of Thammasat University late on Tuesday morning to prevent anti-military regime demonstrators leaving for a march to Government House.

Police stationed women officers at the front of the barricades, apparently in a bid to dissuage conflict. Protest leaders responded by moving elderly demonstrators to their frontlines.  

Police also secured Makkawan Rangsan bridge on Ratchadamnoen Avenue next to Government House, Maj Gen Piyapong Klinpan, one of the spokesmen for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said.

Authorities would allow only the demonstrators' representatives to approach Government House to submit their letter. They would not allow all the demonstrators to march to Government House.

Police were seen dragging out barricades to prevent protesters proceeding along the road. Protest leader Rangsiman Rome said protesters would march on the road, but occupy only one lane and try not to block traffic.

Earlier, police and protesters engaged in a loudspeaker war at the university campus where protesters had camped overnight.

Rangsiman Rome first said the police had allowed protesters to march to Government House, and then said negotiations had broken down.

The police broadcast warned that gatherings of five or more people for political purposes were prohibited, and protesters and unaccredited journalists faced arrest. Protesters broadcast defiant messages, saying “We are not afraid of you.”

Protest leaders had told officials their march to Government House would end at midday. Later, they vowed to continue their protest at Thammasat University until 6pm. Protest leader Nuttaa Mahattana, who is facing three sedition charges, said the demonstration was not connected with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra or even with the Pheu Thai party.

"We are here for the whole country," she said, adding that General Prayut was like "Pinocchio, because he has lied to the people and to the global community."

Ms Nuttaa and four other protest leaders were this morning were charged again with violating public assembly laws. Police spokesman Krissana Phathancharoen said the other four facing new charges are: Rangsiman Rome, Sirawith Seritiwat, Ekachai Hongkangwan and Piyarat Jongthep.

Earlier story:

Between 80 and 100 demonstrators gathered peacefully at Thammasat University’s Tha Phrachan campus on Monday night, said Maj Gen Piyapong.

Organisers had informed the security officials the gathering would end at 9pm. They said they would gather again on Tuesday morning and set out for Government House.

The demonstrators had also said it was their intention to arrive at Government House between 10am and 11am, he said. The  demoinstration should end by mid-day.

The demonstrators were expected to be joined by between 500 and 700 more protesters - university students, red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) supporters and other activists, he said.

Government House and surrounding areas within a 50-metre radius had been declared a “controlled zone” under the 2015 Act on public gatherings and a National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) order,

Tuesday, May 22, is the fourth anniversary of the coup toppled the Pheu Thai Party-led government and put the NCPO in power.

About 100 police were openly deployed to ensure law and order in the area, according to media reports. About eight companies of crowd control police were on standby to back them up if necessary.

The demonstrators, known as “People who want an election” and led by the Democracy Restoration Group (DRG), are pressuring the government to hold a general election by November this year.

Pro-election activist, Sirawith Seritiwat, a key member of the demonstration, said this morning at Thammasat that he had learned of the Administrative Court’s decision to reject the demonstrators’ petition for an injunction against the police order for them to not leave Thammasat for Government House as planned.

Mr Sirawith is leading the demonstration along with Rangsiman Rome, a co-leader of the DRG.

Deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul insisted on maintaining full security measures at Government House.

He said police had detected the smuggling of "heavy weapons" into Nonthaburi but could not affirm if the this was linked to hard-core elements of the UDD suspected of wanting to exploit the demonstration to stir up unrest.

Police said around 200 protesters had gathered.

"Authorities will use the law 100%. If they walk out we will use the law immediately. We have put forces all around Government House ... if they come into these areas there will be a prison sentence of up to 6 months," Pol Gen Srivara said.

"Police have no weapons. They are carrying only batons," he said.

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