Police meet to discus legal action against pro-democracy protesters and organisers
Following Saturday’s large protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Saturday afternoon and evening, Bangkok police are now pondering whether to prosecute the organisers for defying the emergency decree – the part of the law that prohibits large public gatherings. The protesters were demanding the dissolution of Parliament, the drawing up of a new Constitution and an end to official limitation of free expression.
Some estimated 2,000+ people (the estimates have grown over the past 2 days), congregated at the Democracy Monument in protest of the Prayut government.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau, Crime Suppression Division, Technology Crime Suppression Division, Special Branch, Samranrat, Nang Loeng and Chanasongkram police stations met today to discuss evidence for possible legal action against the activists and the organisers of the pro-democracy rally.
Following the meeting, Pol Lt Gen Pakkapong Pongpetra, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, threatened, at the very least, to invoke the Land Traffic Act against participants, adding that the police will explore whether the Emergency Decree and Disease Control Act could also be used to add more charges.
The threats were being rolled against the Bangkok protagonists, whilst smaller protests were being conducted in Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Rayong.
Later today it was reported that some of the protesters are threatening to rally in front of the Army’s headquarters this evening. The protest would be specifically targeting Colonel Nusra Vorapatratorn, deputy spokesperson of the Army. Posting on his Facebook page about the Saturday protest the Colonel said that rally’s participants should “focus on doing their jobs rather than joining the protest.” He later deleted the post.
Another army spokesman, Colonel Winthai Suvaree, spoke to the media this afternoon and stated that Nusra “had expressed her personal opinion” and that “she is no longer the deputy spokesperson”.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
