Thai Protesters Return as Parliament Backs Charter Recast
- Activists hit streets after six-month lull during outbreaks
- Parliament voted for poll rules seen as aiding large parties
Thai pro-democracy protesters hold up a three finger salute during a rally in Bangkok on March 24, 2021.
Source: Getty Images
Thailand’s parliament voted in favor of a proposal for the amendment of the country’s constitution and its electoral system, ignoring sweeping changes demanded by pro-democracy protesters who returned to the streets after a six-month hiatus.
The endorsement came after thousands of demonstrators gathered in several locations across Bangkok on Thursday, calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha to quit as well as commemorating the Siamese Revolution that marked the end of absolute monarchy in 1932. The protesters also demanded “a constitution that comes from the people” and spurned the charter that’s part of “the mechanisms leading to the continuation of the current regime.”