Days after Thai security forces forcibly shut down a peaceful protest at Myanmar’s Bangkok embassy, people will gather there again this evening to raise their voices anew.
The #LightUpMyanmar rally will see protesters gather with candles and phone flashlights in front of the Myanmar mission on lower Sathon Road in Bangkok. The gathering is meant to be a show of defiance against the coup that occurred Monday when democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior government leaders were detained by military officers.
The 8pm rally is organized by the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, student activists who led many of last year’s demonstrations against the government of Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha and the monarchy.
A similar rally will occur at 8pm in Chiang Mai city in front of the Myanmar consulate on Soi Maneenopparat 3.
Monday’s protest at the same venue was peaceful until Thai police in riot gear marched in to disperse it, leading to clashes between protesters and security forces.
Three protesters were arrested and charged with creating a crowd in violation of pandemic health measures.
Under hasty revisions to the emergency decree effective yesterday, mass gatherings in areas designated pandemic hot zones such as Bangkok are banned. No attempt to define how many people comprise a “mass gathering” was made.
Violators risk two years in prison and THB40,000 fines.
In Tokyo, thousands of Burmese protesters gathered Wednesday in front of Japan’s foreign affairs ministry to demand Japan join its allies in taking a strong stance against the coup due to its many business entanglements.
Unlike in Bangkok, Japanese authorities took no action against the peaceful rally.
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