Anti-coup rally on streets, social media | Bangkok Post

Anti-coup rally on streets, social media  | Bangkok Post
Achara Ashayagachat , 23 May 2014

With most television and radio stations either shut down or presenting official announcements, opponents of the coup have taken to the streets and the internet to express their grievances.

About 50 people, including students, led by the Thammasat for Democracy group, marched from the university to Democracy Monument in a symbolic protest against the takeover led by Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, the national army chief.

By evening, the number of people joining the anti-coup march rose to about 400.

Another 100 activists rallied in front of the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center (BACC), where they had also gathered on Tuesday when the military invoked martial law.

The activists, comprising freelance and independent media, artists and social activists, read a statement and lit candles at the downtown site, which has been used on several occasions as a rallying point for those who want an election to resolve the continuing political conflict.
After the military took control of mainstream broadcasting early Thursday evening, use of social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Line began to spike, as those opposing the coup expressed their grievances.

Human rights activists and lawyers have also issued a statement expressing concern about curbs on expression.

Nitirat, also known as the Enlightened Jurists founded by Thammasat University law lecturers, has strongly condemned the coup. The group said it was disrespectful and trampled on the people's right to make their decisions about government according to the democratic system.

The Nitirat statement was signed by four core members: Thammasat University Assoc Prof Worachet Pakeerut, Assoc Prof Prasit Piwawattanapanich, lecturer Piyabut Saengkanokkul, and Asst Prof Thira Suthiwarangul. They also condemned efforts to oppose the 1997 Constitution which they said was a real social contract for Thai society.

The 1997 Constitution was superseded by a charter drafted after the 2006 military coup and approved by 52% of the voters in a referendum. That charter has now been suspended by the 2014 coup makers.

The Nitirat scholars also condemned the infringement of freedom of expression, especially the curbs on dissenting views against the coup in media coverage.

They also called for the military to adhere to human rights principles, amid reports that some people who staged protests against the coup had been detained.

The four academics called for the return to democratic normalcy under the constitutional monarchy with respect for human rights and the liberty of the people.

The People's Movement for a Just Society (P-Move) also condemned the coup. It has encouraged people to stage civil disobedience against orders of the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC).

The Human Rights Lawyers Association, Cross Cultural Foundation, Union of Civil Liberties and the Enlawthai Foundation have also called for the return to a civilian democratic regime and for the military to go back to the barracks.

Sombat Boon-ngam-anong, dubbed Bor Kor Lai Jud, has used social media in calling for coup protesters to wear red on Sunday and to meet at McDonald's at the Ratchaprasong intersection or at any fast food shops in provinces.

More civic groups were also planning defiance against the coup orders. On Tuesday activists will mobilise people to read in front the novel 1984 by George Orwell in front of the BACC.

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