Lawmakers debate reform: Protesters rally at Thai parliament

BANGKOK: Thousands of Thais protested outside parliament on Thursday as lawmakers debated amendments to the kingdom’s military-scripted constitution, a key demand of a burgeoning pro-democracy movement alongside calls to reform the unassailable monarchy.

Thailand has seen a growing movement of anti-government protests led by student activists in recent months, with a rally last weekend drawing 30,000 supporters — the largest demonstration since the 2014 coup.

Protesters are demanding a rewrite to the 2017 constitution scripted by the junta regime, which critics say paved the way for coup leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha to return to power as a civilian premier after last year’s elections. As lawmakers inside the building debated setting up a constitutional drafting committee, outside, rally organiser Siraphop Attohi — also known as “Raptor” — called for MPs to put a constitutional “limit” on the monarchy’s power.

The movement — which students claim is leaderless and inspired by Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters — is also calling for Prayut to resign and for the government to stop “harassment” of political opponents. King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of Thai power, supported by an arch-royalist military and the kingdom’s billionaire clans.