After police said they would hunt down those behind a campaign to light landmarks commemorating 2010’s street protests and violence, former members of a defunct political party stepped forward to take credit.
Progressive Movement, a group comprised of former Future Forward Party members, outed itself last night as being behind the “Seek the Truth” messages beamed onto several spots throughout Bangkok on Sunday night.
The group posted a timelapse video of its team operating the protection mapping from inside a van and said it would publicize more information regarding the 2010 crackdown that left nearly 100 dead in the capital.
“How many times have people with empty hands been killed in cold blood? How many times have killers and those behind them never been prosecuted, and even stepped into the lanes of power?” the group wrote online.
https://www.facebook.com/ThailandProgressiveMovement/posts/186041349698802
The group said that now through May 20, it would release more information regarding 2010’s violence. Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who helped engineer the 2014 coup and now serves as deputy prime minister, said today that his officers are investigating the matter.
After the Future Forward Party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in February, some of its leaders were banned from politics for 10 years, including party head Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, deputy leader Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and executive member Pannika Wanich, who then founded Progressive Thai.
Pannika at the time famously called out the government for “forming a dark alliance” with former Malaysian PM Najib Razak’s government in covering up its massive 1MDB scandal.
Pannika last night tweeted that the messages projected around the capital were “only the beginning.”
#ตามหาความจริง กับเรา 12-20 พ.ค. นี้ ทางเพจ #คณะก้าวหน้า ฉายภาพกลางกรุงมันแค่จุดเริ่มต้นเท่านั้น #ความจริงต้องปรากฏ https://t.co/9LFS4RGfmP
— Pannika Wanich (@Pannika_FWP) May 11, 2020
On Sunday night, messages reading “Seek the Truth” in Thai were projected on significant sites from a chapter of upheaval that unfolded 10 years ago when more than 100,000 people, many Redshirt supporters of former ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, converged on the capital to demand elections.
The messages were spotted at several locations marred by scenes of violence: the Democracy Monument near the first spasm of violence on April 10; a corner of Soi Rangnam where two civilians were shot; and Wat Pathum Wanaram, where soldiers are suspected of killing six people seeking sanctuary at the conclusion of the crackdown on May 19, 2010. Nearly 100 people were killed, mostly civilians. Five soldiers died, as well as a Japanese journalist.
Related:
Police hunt guerilla campaigners who lit landmarks of 2010 violence (Photos)
Thai gov’t calls Future Forward’s 1MDB accusations ‘slander’
Thai army wages cyber warfare to sow social divisions: opposition lawmaker
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