Thailand pro-democracy protesters rally ahead of parliamentary debate

The rally in the heart of the Thai capital was the prelude to a much bigger demonstration expected on Monday

The parliamentary session is expected to focus on ways to defuse the situation, but protesters see it as an attempt to criticise them

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Pro-democracy protesters flashing three-fingered salutes near a main shopping district in Bangkok on Sunday. Photo: AP

Published: 7:10pm, 25 Oct 2020Updated: 9:30pm, 25 Oct 2020

Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand gathered again Sunday in Bangkok, seeking to keep up pressure on the government a day ahead of a special session of parliament called to try to ease political tensions.

The rally took place at the busy Rajprasong intersection, in the heart of the capital’s shopping district, an area that usually draws large weekend crowds. Few protesters turned out in the first hour of the rally, as a better publicised protest had already been called for Monday.

The rallies were called Saturday night after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ignored the protesters’ deadline to step down.

The protesters’ core demands also include a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy. Public criticism of the monarchy is unprecedented is a country where the royal institution has been considered sacrosanct.

The protesters charge that Prayuth, who led a coup in 2014 as the army chief, was returned to power unfairly in last year’s general election because laws had been changed to favour a pro-military party. The protesters also say that the constitution, written and enacted under military rule, is undemocratic.

Prayuth’s government last week called the parliamentary session, expected to last two days, to seek to defuse weeks of almost daily protests.