Thousands of Thais gather in protest against government’s amnesty bill

Anti-government protesters attend an anti-government rally against amnesty bill in Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 31, 2013. More than 10,000 of protesters of the opposition Democrat Party took part in the rally near Samsen railway station to oppose the amnesty bill being debated in Parliament. (Xinhua/NEWSis)

An estimated 10,000 Thais demonstrated on Thursday near a Bangkok railway station in protest against a bill aimed to grant amnesty to those involved in previous mass protests.

Organized by the opposition Democrat Party, the number of the anti-amnesty demonstrators who began to gather since late afternoon might increase twice as many over the weekend, police said. Most of the protesters came from southern provinces by train.

About 4,000 policemen were deployed around the protest site surrounded by makeshift pavilions where food was offered for free to the demonstrators. No untoward incident was reported so far. The spot where the anti-amnesty rally is being held by the Democrat lawmakers is adjacent to restricted areas declared under the Internal Security Act, which cover the neighborhood of parliament and Government House.

Thailand's opposition Democrat Party member of Parliament and former secretary-general of the party Suthep Thaugsuban (L) attends an anti-government protest against amnesty bill in Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 31, 2013. More than 10,000 of protesters of the opposition Democrat Party took part in the rally near Samsen railway station to oppose the amnesty bill being debated in Parliament. (Xinhua/NEWSis)

Thailand’s legislation to grant amnesty to those involved in previous mass protests and army crackdowns on protesters sailed through the House of Representatives.  After 19 hours of heated debate punctuated with floor protests by both sides of the parliament aisle, the lawmakers voted 310 to pass the bill in its third and final reading while none voted against it at about 04.30 a.m. Friday.

The amnesty bill, pushed by the Pheu Thai (For Thais) Party-led government under Lady Premier Yingluck Shinawatra, was designed to grant amnesty on “comprehensive” basis. It is yet to be deliberated by the Senate, which is slated for later this month. Former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban of the Democrat Party and his colleagues took turns to launch barrages against the amnesty bill.

The bill was designed to grant amnesty on “comprehensive” basis to the extent that all persons involved in political protests since 2006 coup which ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and in 2010 army crackdown on Red Shirt protesters be exonerated of all criminal charges.

Included on the list of persons who will be free of all charges under the amnesty bill are former premiers Thaksin and Abhisit Vejjajiva, current Democrat leader, Suthep and leaders of the anti- Thaksin Yellow Shirt movement as well as those of the pro-Thaksin Red Shirts.

Suthep told the protesters that he and other Democrat legislators will not only oppose the amnesty bill inside parliament but outside. While the politician-led protest was going on near Samsen railway station, about three kilometers from parliament, the lawmakers debated the bill in the House of Representatives.

“We’ll fight the disgraceful bill until it is aborted. We will not stop (protesting) until our cause is won.

“If a single person who is joining the protest here in peaceful, unarmed fashion is ever killed or wounded by any government force, no cabinet ministers will be able to stay in Thailand safely,” said Suthep to a cheering crowd. (Xinhua/NEWSis)