Bangkok: Thai protesters plan to march to the German Embassy on Monday to submit a letter questioning King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s legal status in the European country, stepping up pressure as they push for changes to the monarchy.
The letter, to be delivered to embassy officials in Bangkok, will request Germany to scrutinize whether the king has exercised royal authority during his time there in violation of the country’s law, the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, one of the protest organizers, said in a statement on Sunday night. The king, who is currently in Bangkok, spends much of his time in Germany.
Officials at the German embassy in Bangkok weren’t immediately available for comment. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said this month that Thailand’s king shouldn’t be conducting state business from the European country.
The latest call from protesters come as lawmakers plan to meet on Monday to debate the pro-democracy demonstrations that pose a challenge to the royalist elite that has run Thailand for much of its history. They want Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha to resign, changes to a constitution written after a 2014 coup and greater accountability and transparency for the monarchy — the most powerful institution in the country.
Parliament Debate
Prayuth, who has ignored calls to quit, has said that the session would address some of the grievances of demonstrators. But an agenda for the meeting showed lawmakers would discuss coronavirus infection risks stemming from the protests and an incident involving some demonstrators targeting a royal motorcade.
Prayuth has said the government is open to amending some unspecified parts of the constitution though parliament last month stalled the charter amendment process. Protesters say the constitution, which allows a military-appointed Senate to vote for the prime minister, was instrumental in helping Prayuth maintain power.
The prime minister has struggled to quell the protest movement, forcing him to withdraw a state of emergency in the capital within a week of its imposition and asking protesters to “take a step back” to de-escalate the situation. But protesters rejected the olive branch and called for more protests.
Prayuth’s Performance
An opinion poll by Suan Dusit University showed that more than 62% of respondents felt discontent with Prayuth’s performance was the key reason for the escalating protest movement. Another survey by the National Institute of Development Administration showed 59% of the 1,336 respondents are worried the protests will lead to violence and conflict.
The Thai government may be drawn into a “prolonged stand-off with the protesters, coupled with the arrests and harassment of leaders, in hopes of the movement’s losing momentum,” said Christopher Ankersen, associate professor at New York University’s School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs.
If the government is forced to make some compromise, a drafting of a new constitution — “a slow, long and arcane process” — could be used to buy time, Ankersen said, adding that Prayuth’s resignation could also be on the table. –Bloomberg
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