Protests
Thai protesters come out of hibernation, but has the movement run out of steam? | VIDEO

After a few month’s hibernation, the pro-democracy movement is back in full swing. Some skirmishes earlier this week and court cases related to last year’s rallies have been hot news.
So are we in for a few more months of cat and mouse protests? And has the protest movement lost some of its impetus?
Now we hear that more than 20,000 crowd control officers are polishing up their riot shields to be on hand to handle demonstrations planned for outside of the Thai parliament today. Not only today, but there’s also been announced protests in other parts of Bangkok over the coming weekend. Metropolitan Police have announced12 companies of 1,800 crowd control officers that would be sent to protest sites over the weekend. Police has been seconded from around the country and brought into the capital.
Tim Newton reports from Prathunwan intersection in Bangkok.
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Thailand
Thailand classified as a “not free” country in Freedom House report

On a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being absolute freedom, Thailand scores at 30, a “not free” country, according to the nonprofit Freedom House. Each year, the organisation reviews the political rights and civil liberties of countries around the world. According to their recent assessment, Thailand has declined in terms of rights and liberties, dropping on the scale from “partly free” to “not free.”
The main reason for the drop on the freedom scale, the organisation says, is “due to the dissolution of a popular opposition party that performed well in the 2019 elections, and the military-dominated government’s crackdown on youth-led protests calling for democratic reforms.”
The Future Forward Party was dissolved in February 2020 after the court found that the founder, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, had made a large donation to the party that exceeded the legal limit. The party’s leaders were then banned from politics for the next decade.
Youth-led protests started in February, but the demonstrations were put on pause due to Covid-19 restrictions banning large public gatherings. Protesters gathered in July as restrictions lifted, but some leaders then faced charges for holding a public gathering, which was still banned under emergency orders.
In October, the prime minister imposed what Freedom House calls a “severe” State of Emergency order in Bangkok that banned gatherings of more than 5 people. Some protesters were arrested for violating the order nearly immediately after it was imposed.
With activists pushing for monarchy reform and an end to the military’s involvement in government, raising subjects considered taboo and unprecedented in Thai society, the Thai government has increased its use of the draconian lèse majesté law. Since November, dozens of activists have faced charges for insulting or defaming the Thai Monarchy.
Freedom House scores countries on topics like the electoral process, questioning if politicians and leaders were elected in free and fair elections, as well as freedom of expression and individual rights.
Thailand’s military seized power in 2014 in a bloodless coup. The 2017 constitution was drafted by a committee appointed by the military’s National Council for Peace and Order. In 2019, the country transitioned to what Freedom House calls a “military-dominated, semi-elected” government.
The 2019 elections were overseen by the Election Commission of Thailand, whose members were appointed by the military. All 250 senators were appointed by the military in 2019 to serve 5 year terms.
In 2020, the combination of democratic deterioration and frustrations over the role of the monarchy provoked the country’s largest anti-government demonstrations in a decade. In response to these youth-led protests, the regime resorted to familiar authoritarian tactics, including arbitrary arrests, intimidation, lèse majesté charges, and harassment of activists. Freedom of the press is constrained, due process is not guaranteed, and there is impunity for crimes committed against activists.
SOURCE: Freedom House
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Riot police officer in Bangkok tests positive for Covid-19

A riot police officer, who was deployed at the recent pro-democracy protests in Bangkok, has tested positive for Covid-19. His supervisor, chief of Wang Thonglang station Ekapop Tanprayoon, says the officer had visited Samut Sakhon, a coronavirus hotspot.
Riot police who worked closely with the infected officer, Somyot Nuamcharoen, are ordered to quarantine. The Wang Thonglang police station and any items the police officer handled are being disinfected, the chief says.
The officer had met up with friends during a visit to Samut Sakhon, just southwest of Bangkok. He travelled to the coastal province on February 18 and returned to Bangkok the next day.
On the 20th, he was deployed to a protest outside of parliament, just after returning from his trip to the “red zone” province. On Sunday, he deployed the protest outside the military barracks in Bangkok. The demonstration turned violent and numerous people were injured.
On Tuesday, his friend from Samut Sakhon tested positive for the virus. The infected officer was tested for Covid-19 that day and his result came back positive yesterday.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Transport
“Sealed route” set at Bangkok airport for international transfers

Thailand is now allowing international transits and transfers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by using a so-called “sealed route” arranged at the airport to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has now set guidelines for passengers who have a layover at the Bangkok airport.
Passengers will not be allowed to leave Concourse E. A “sealed route” for the passengers will be set up at Gate E10 and E9, allowing passengers to enter the airport at Gate E10, go through security screening and then either board the transit aircraft at Gate E9 or go on a designated shuttle bus directly to an aircraft.
Social distancing is required for all passengers in waiting areas and a face mask must be worn at all times. The CAAT says food and beverage services will be available at the airport’s “sealed route” waiting area, but there will be “active oversight” on the services. Areas will also be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Passengers must present required documents…
- A fit-to-fly health certificate
- Medical certificate declaring a negative Covid-19 result issued no more than 72 hours before departure
- Travel health insurance that covers Covid-19 treatment expenses up to $100,000 USD
If demand increases, the airport will add Gates E5, E7 and E8 to the sealed route. If Concourse E is under maintenance, then Concourse F will be used under the same plan.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Changue
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 3:55 pm
Is a movement based on mediocre sci fi movie credible? Should have channeled Avengers instead of Hunger Games.
Ian
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Well let’s hope the police don’t attack them again but if they do the world news films it and hopefully shut the mouth of the idiot from issan but I’m sure he will find another angle as he always does it’s never the police or governments fault he will even blame the UK and USA never the establishment what a fool he makes himself on a daily badais
Jesus Monroe
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 4:46 pm
20000 Crowd Control Officers…….shit someones cashed up and it certainly ain’t the people……They the people are gonna be F$%*Ked for many years by the look of things
Grumpy John
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 8:29 pm
So that would make the cop to protester ratio about 1 to 1. Hopefully there will be water canon trucks there to cool down the cops…who must be so uncomfortable with all that gear on.
DiJoDavO
Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 6:36 am
Can’t they maybe wait until the Covid stuff is gone? Soon they will use Covid again as a reason to lockdown again and it keeps going like this. It finally looks as if we get all our freedom of traveling back soon, and many restrictions are about to be lifted. But because of the protests, this won’t happen at all.
Slugger
Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 7:32 pm
Has the movement run out of steam? A rhetorical question if ever one was asked.
James Pate
Monday, February 22, 2021 at 4:53 am
The protests will keep coming back for years, like herpes.