Country needs a law to regulate protests
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Thailand needs laws regulating rallies that preserves both the right to protest and the rights of those affected by the protest, eg, those living/working nearby, or the right of citizens to receive their government's services.
The minority, no matter how justified their cause, has no right to infringe on the rights of others to work or live in peace at the protest site, nor may they impede the right of others to freely use services nearby, and all must enjoy the right of innocent passage. At the same time, the protesters have the right to make their cause known and to persuade others to join, provided, of course, that they do not incite violence, slander, etc.
Thus, when a student anti-segregation group picketed a restaurant in the US Deep South at a time when segregation was legal, by law, we had to keep silent, freely allow would-be patrons to access/exit the restaurant, and stay on public areas. We carefully abided by the letter and spirit of the law, and garnered much publicity (all favourable). We had about 20 pickets, including myself; one policeman, observing from across the street, was sufficient to keep order – a far cry from the 12,000 cops that PM Yingluck called up to deal with 250 protesters.
Thailand badly needs laws such as the above, rigorously and impartially enforced, or we descend into anarchy.
Best,
Burin Kantabutra
