Thailand News: ANTI-government Protests
In the recent past, thousands of protestors have taken it to the streets to express their frustrations on the government and police actions. Approximately 100,000 protestors took to the ‘streets in March 2014 to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. Many people marched from the main park in Bangkok, carrying Thai flags. The movement was facilitated by anti-government activists who wanted the prime minister to step down for the reformation of the political system. According to a report by Thailand News Today (2014), protestors were seen shutting down road junctions in the city and blockading various government ministries. Those interviewed during the protests stated that they were tired of the poor governance; they wanted to inform the government of their need to reform the country and get their needs met. The demonstrators marched from the park along other different routes in the city center.
The anti-government protestors warned the authorities against any attempt to organize election re-run, stating that their efforts would be boycotted. Their main aim was to bring Bangkok to a stand-still and get their voices heard by the government. They wanted the Shinawatra family to lose control of government activities, an action that was received with extreme resistance.
The demonstrations happened days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled that the general elections that were held on February 2 were invalid. The election process was not completed since the opposition boycotted while protestors disrupted the process. The protestors who were mainly middle and urban class demanded the replacement of the prime minister with an unelected people’s council. Despite the effort from the anti-governmental activists, the prime minister dismissed the call by the protestors to step down. Approximately 20,000 security officers reiterated an action that facilitated the death of many protestors and disruption of the economy.
Thailand New Today (2014, April 1). Thailand Protests Thousands protest government in Thailand [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6QMdb7Qe9s