Anti-govt rally in Khon Kaen

KHON KAEN: A group of students and and supporters of the Free People group staged a brief rally in Muang district of this northeastern province on Saturday night, calling for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign and dissolve parliament, the writing of a new constitution and an end to the government's intimidation of the people.

The rally at the democracy monument on Srichan road in the Khon Kaen municipal area started at 9pm.

Core members of the northeastern branch of the group took turns to deliver anti-government speeches on the stage before Suradet Kaewkalaya, a former election candidate for the Samanchon Party, read out a statement.

The statement called for an end to intimidation of the people, the government's legal action against people with different opinions, inequality in education, inequities in the justice process and the plunder of natural resources.

"We want rights and freedom and human dignity because we are not slaves. We want a democracy which belongs to the people. We want equality in education and true justice in the judicial process. We want the decentralisation of power and the right of communities to manage their own resources. We want a new democracy and society," said the statement.

The rally continued with speeches by core members of the group and music played by various bands.

The demonstration, watched by police and other authorities, was called off at 10pm.