THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Military 'won't block' northeastern people from joining Sept 19 anti-govt rally

Military 'won't block' northeastern people from joining Sept 19 anti-govt rally

There will be no military roadblocks to stop protesters from the Northeast travelling to join an anti-government demonstration scheduled for Saturday (September 19) at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus in Bangkok, 2nd Army spokesman Maj-General Rachan Prachantasen said on Monday (September 14).

“Our intelligence units have been closely monitoring political movements in the Northeast region to assess whether the situation could turn violent in order to employ suitable preventive measures within the framework of national security,” he said. “However, the Army is not directly responsible for maintaining law and order at protest venues since the dissolution of the National Council for Peace and Order [in July 2019].
“Agencies in charge of keeping political protests in order are administrative offices and police, and the Army will not interfere with their work,” he added. “There would definitely be no such roadblocks to stop protesters from the Northeast from reaching Bangkok, as people have the right to freedom of expression under a democratic regime.”
Rachan also added that he believed not many people from the Northeast would travel to Bangkok to join the protest at Thammasat, as most of the northeastern protesters are likely to set up stages in their respective provinces on Saturday, giving speeches to local people.

RELATED
nationthailand