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A28 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 11 augusT 2020
Unprecedented open criticism of king aired at Thai protest

By JERRY HARMER and Among them were separa-
TASSANEE VEJPONGSA tion of the king's personal
Associated Press wealth from the royal pal-
PATHUM THANI, Thailand ace's vast fortune held by
(AP) — Student leaders in the Crown Property Bu-
Thailand delivered an un- reau; forbidding the mon-
precedented challenge to archy from playing any role
the country's constitutional in politics or endorsing any
monarchy on Monday, military coups; abolishing
strongly criticizing the king the excessive glorification
and demanding changes of the monarchy; and in-
to lessen what they believe vestigating the deaths of
is its anti-democratic na- critics of the monarchy.
ture. How much support the
The monarchy is the coun- students may get from
try's most revered institution the public at large, tired
and regarded as beyond of sharp and sometimes
censure. It is protected by violent political contention
stringent defamation laws over the last decade and a
with prison terms up to 15 half, is unclear.
years. But questioning of "In the space of one week,
its privileged position has the boundaries of public
grown since the 2016 ac- Pro-democracy students hold posters of a missing Thai activist during a protest at the Thammasat discussion of the monarch
cession to the throne of University in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Aug, 10, 2020. Associated Press and the institution of the
King Maha Vajiralongkorn, monarchy in Thailand have
whose much-admired fa- spite the country's nominal response. Security forces in ernment rally. Many in the expanded rapidly," Tyrell
ther King Bhumibol Adu- status as a democracy. recent weeks already had crowd cheered, clapped Haberkorn, a Thai studies
lyadej ruled for seven de- A number of speakers then been trying to intimidate and flashed three-fingered scholar at the University of
cades. took the stage and de- students and other activists salute that has been ad- Wisconsin-Madison, said in
At least 3,000 students had tailed perceived problems from holding demonstra- opted by Thailand's pro- an e-mail. "Whether or not
gathered Monday evening with Thailand's monarchy. tions. democracy movement. the authorities will allow this
at the Thammasat Univer- Airing their grievances in "We shouldn't have to Yet others in the audience expansion as they should
sity campus on the outskirts direct language normal- speak using symbols. Direct appeared stunned by the – or will respond with re-
of Bangkok for the latest ly expressed in whispers, discussion is best. That's content of the speeches. pression or violence – is the
and biggest in a series of the speakers criticized what I think, so I choose to Arnon had just a week question."
rallies calling for the gov- the king's wealth, his influ- speak directly, out of re- earlier openly but narrow- She said it was significant
ernment to step down. ence and the fact that he spect to my own dignity, to ly questioned the extent that university and high
But the protest's direction spends almost all his time in that of the listeners and of of the king's powers at a school students were at
turned when a student Germany, not Thailand. the monarchy as an institu- much smaller protest. the forefront of the pro-
went on stage, read out Such open defiance of the tion," said civil rights lawyer The rally ended with anoth- tests, rather than the parti-
the 1932 proclamation that taboos around speaking ill and activist Arnon Nam- er leader, Panusaya Sithiji- san political veterans who
ended the absolute mon- of the monarchy will infuri- pha, who is currently on rawattanakul, reading out had been spearheading
archy in what was then ate ultra-conservatives and bail after being charged a manifesto with a list of 10 the struggle for democ-
called Siam, and declared the military, who are un- last Friday for sedition fol- demands for reforming the racy since a 2006 military
that in fact it lives on de- likely to let it go without a lowing an earlier anti-gov- institution of the monarchy. coup.q

China sanctions 11 U.S. politicians, heads of organizations

have already been singled ing leading independent by the foreign ministry:
out by Beijing. media tycoon Jimmy Lai Senators Josh Hawley, Tom
Foreign ministry spokesper- and raiding the publisher's Cotton and Pat Toomey
son Zhao Lijian on Monday headquarters. "The rel- and Representative Chris
said the 11 had "performed evant actions of the U.S. Smith. Cotton, an Arkansas
badly" on issues concern- blatantly intervened in Republican, said he was
ing Hong Kong, where Chi- Hong Kong affairs, grossly sanctioned for defending
na has cracked down on interfered in China's inter- the victims of Communist
opposition voices following nal affairs, and seriously Party rule, including Hong
its imposition of a national violated international law Kong students fighting for
security law in the semi- and the basic norms of in- democracy. The others
autonomous southern Chi- ternational relations," for- sanctioned were National
nese city last month. eign ministry spokesperson Endowment for Democ-
The number of Americans Zhao Lijian said at a daily racy President Carl Gersh-
named by the ministry ex- briefing on Monday. "China man, National Democratic
In this Aug. 8, 2020, file photo, pro-China supporters display a actly equals the number urges the U.S. to have a Institute President Derek
picture of U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest against of Hong Kong and Chi- clear understanding of the Mitchell, International Re-
the U.S. sanctions outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong. nese officials placed on a situation, correct mistakes, publican Institute President
Associated Press sanctions list by the U.S. last and immediately stop inter- Daniel Twining, Human
BEIJING (AP) — China on heads of organizations pro- week over the crackdown. fering in Hong Kong affairs Rights Watch Executive Di-
Monday announced un- moting democratic causes, China showed its determi- and interfering in China's rector Kenneth Roth, and
specified sanctions against including Senators Marco nation to defy such pres- internal affairs. "Four other Michael Abramowitz, Presi-
11 U.S. politicians and Rubio and Ted Cruz, who sure on Monday by arrest- lawmakers were named dent of Freedom House. q