The anti-government rally at Thammasat University on Monday night is thought to have risked offending the monarchy, sparking fears that it could trigger violent confrontations between the royalist movement and its opponents.
Comments made by protesters at the university’s Rangsit Campus in Pathum Thani have potentially violated Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law. Students announced a set of 10 demands which included changes in the country’s highest institution, including Section 112 and royal prerogatives.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday said that the government had been closely monitoring the situation and admitted he was worried about it. However, he refused to comment on the protesters’ demands.
Meanwhile, Thammasat University on Tuesday issued a statement distancing itself from the rally and apologised for the rally that took place on its campus.
The university said that the organisers had asked for permission to hold the rally to push for their three original demands: constitutional amendments, the dissolution of the House and an end to the intimidation of critics of the government.
However, the university said that during the rally the protesters had acted and spoken beyond permitted bounds, particularly on issues which were delicate and sensitive to the feelings of the public at large.
Such actions which went beyond permitted limits were the personal responsibility of the protesters, the statement continued, since the rally organisers had struck an agreement with police officers beforehand.
Police will take legal action against all involved, particularly those who are not Thammasat University students. The university says it is willing to cooperate and ensure justice for all sides.
WRITERS: Nattaya Chetchotiros, Mongkol Bangprapa and Aekarach Sattaburuth
Source: Bangkok Post
