On October 15, the Thai government declared a state of emergency in a bid to quell ongoing student protests that have rocked Bangkok, the nation’s capital, for over three months. In the past few days, the demonstrations intensified as thousands of young people took to the streets, demanding constitutional reform and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Clashes between pro-democracy, pro-monarchy protestors and the police have been reported, and the police have responded with tear gas and water cannons.
The state of emergency was officially announced in response to the alleged swarming and blocking of the royal motorcade. As Queen Suthida passed through the streets of Bangkok, protestors shouted at the vehicle and clashed with counterprotesters wearing yellow shirts, which are symbolic of Thailand’s conservative elite. The announcement came alongside a document banning large gatherings and allowing local authorities to ban individuals from entering certain areas, which took effect from 4 am local time.
Under a state of emergency, police are permitted to detain individuals without charge for up to 30 days, and local reports estimate that around 40 activists have already been arrested. Under The Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, Thai authorities can impose broad censorship, and the state of emergency measure prohibits “publication of news, other media, and electronic information that contains messages that could create fear or intentionally distort information, creating misunderstanding that will affect national security or peace and order.” This has recently been employed to block international news reporting on Thailand.
Thailand’s modern history has been especially turbulent, characterized by long bouts of political unrest and over a dozen successful military coups since the Siamese revolution of 1932. The country is a constitutional monarchy, whose King Maha Vajiralongkorn serves as the figurehead. Criticizing the monarchy is deeply taboo, and those found guilty can risk up to 15 years in prison. Prayut’s regime came to power after the military seized power in 2014. In 2017, he rewrote the country’s constitution to increase the king’s powers and entrench pro-military royalists. His power was further solidified in the March 2019 general elections.
The recent series of protests were triggered by the dissolution of the Future Forward Party in February 2020. This party garnered the third-largest share of seats in the National Assembly and was popular amongst younger voters and was deeply critical of Prayut and the political climate that was created by the 2017 constitution. The first protests in February began on campuses across the country but were halted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The protests erupted again on July 18th at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. The demonstrations remained largely peaceful and called for the dissolution of parliament, a new constitution, and an end to the intimidation of dissidents.
Despite the newly imposed curfew and the shutting down of Bangkok’s transport system, protestors have continued to take to the streets in defiance of the government. Nonetheless, the enactment of the state of emergency enables security forces to commit abuses with impunity.
On Friday, Human Rights Watch condemned the Thai police’s use of water cannons against the peaceful protestors and the arrest of a local journalist, Kitti Pantapak. International human rights law, as codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) secures the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Thailand ratified the ICCPR in 1996, although it is evident by their defiance of this legislation that they continue to thwart their citizens’ basic human rights.
