Thammasat alumni group slams protesters for attempting to reach Palace

TUESDAY, November 10, 2020

The Thammasat Pitaktham group, which consists of Thammasat University alumni, on Monday condemned the attempts of pro-democracy protesters to enter the Palace Office on Sunday. The group also condemned the Thammasat University Students Union (TUSU) for supporting the "illegal actions" of the protesters.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters were prevented by police on Sunday evening from reaching the Palace Office to petition for reform of the monarchy. They occupied the streets and later decided to march to nearby Sanam Luang to deliver speeches criticising the government. At around 6.45pm, police had used high pressure guns to spray water on the protesters but later apologised for “accidentally” spraying water.
The TUSU had published a statement on Sunday condemning the police’s use of water cannons on protesters and accused the authorities of trying to obstruct peaceful political activities.
In a statement, Thammasat Pitaktham said: “The protesters’ actions were illegal in mocking and defaming the monarch and trying to break into the Inner Palace which is a prohibited area. The police action was in compliance with international standards in dispersing public gathering and preventing illegal actions.
“We condemn the actions of these protesters, as well as the TUSU for supporting them. Their rally was not peaceful as they claimed and was radically against the ideology of Thammasat University,” said the statement. “We urge them to stop their actions immediately, and authorities should pursue legal actions against anyone who broke the law.”