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world news Diasabra 17 OctOber 2020

Thai PM rejects calls to resign, braces for renewed protest

(AP) — Thailand's prime or prostrate themselves. The by the Constitutional Court.
minister rejected calls for state of emergency outlaws The two activists charged
his resignation Friday as public gatherings of more over the incident with the
his government stepped than five people and bans the queen are Ekachai Hon-
up efforts to stop student- dissemination of news that is gkangwan and Paothong
led protesters from ral- deemed to threaten national Bunkueanum. Ekachai is a
lying in the capital for a security. It also gives authori- veteran activist who has been
second day in defiance of ties broad powers, including physically attacked several
a strict state of emergency. detaining people at length times, in apparent response
without charge. to his criticism of the mili-
Police closed roads and put tary. Paothong, a university
up barricades around a major Some 10,000 protesters de- student, has been involved in
Bangkok intersection where fied the decree Thursday to organizing the protests.
the protesters have vowed rally at the Bangkok intersec-
to gather again to push their tion. The Wednesday incident in
core demands, including A number of protest leaders which the two were alleged-
that Prime Minister Prayuth have already been rounded ly involved was stunning to
Chan-ocha leave office, the up since the decree went into language normally expressed most Thais, because by tradi-
constitution be amended and effect. On Friday another in whispers if at all, the Prayuth’s declaration of a tion and law, members of the
the nation's monarchy un- two activists were arrested speakers criticized the king’s state of emergency said the royal family are treated with
dergo reform. under a law covering vio- wealth, his influence and that measure was necessary be- the utmost respect.
lence against the queen for he spends much of his time cause “certain groups of “We were not notified by the
Police in riot gear moved into their alleged part in the heck- outside the country.Thai- perpetrators intended to in- police of the upcoming royal
the area, while malls in the ling of the motorcade. They land’s royal family has long stigate an untoward incident motorcade in which we had
normally busy shopping dis- could face up to life in prison been considered sacrosanct and movement in the Bang- no way of knowing because
trict were closing early. Near- if convicted. and a pillar of Thai identity. kok area by way of various they were not informing us,”
by mass transit stations were King Maha Vajiralongkorn methods and via different Paothong told reporters Fri-
being closed to stop crowds The protest movement was and other key member of the channels, including causing day.
of protesters from getting launched in March by uni- royal family are protected by obstruction to the royal mo-
near the area. In addition to versity students and its origi- a lese majeste law that has torcade.” Prayuth said Friday “Once we knew that there
the security measures, heavy nal core demands were new regularly been used to silence that he had no plans to re- was a motorcade of the queen
monsoon rains threatened to elections, changes in the critics who risk up to 15 years sign as he had done nothing and the heir presumptive to
keep crowd numbers lower constitution to make it more in prison if deemed to have wrong. He said his govern- the throne I tried to break
than the thousands that gath- democratic, and an end to in- insulted the institution. ment hopes it can drop the away from the line and use
ered the night before. timidation of activists. Conservative royalist Thais state of emergency ahead of my megaphone to have ev-
The student protesters said The protesters charge that accuse the protest movement its normal 30-day duration eryone move away from the
they would simply rally just Prayuth, who as army com- of seeking to end the monar- “if the situation improves police barriers so the motor-
down the street at another mander led a 2014 coup that chy, an allegation its leaders quickly.” cade can pass through easily,”
large intersection. toppled an elected govern- deny. Wednesday's incident he said.
ment, was returned to power with the royal motorcade The legal aid group Thai
Prayuth's government de- unfairly in last year’s general was stunned many Thais. Lawyers for Human Rights The Ministry of Digital
clared a strict new state of election because laws had Video that circulated widely said at least 51 people have Economy, meanwhile, an-
emergency for the capital on been changed to favor a pro- showed members of a small been arrested since Tues- nounced it would file com-
Thursday, a day after pro- military party. crowd heckling a motorcade day in connection with the plaints with police covering
testers gathered in a differ- carrying Queen Suthida and protests. Police on Friday five Twitter accounts and
ent part of the city heckled But the movement took a Prince Dipangkorn as it slow- went to search the offices of five Facebook accounts invit-
a royal motorcade. Such ac- stunning turn in August, ly passed. Security personnel the Progressive Movement, ing people to attend Friday's
tions are unprecedented in when students at a rally aired stood between the vehicles a group formed by former rally. Such posting could be
Thailand, where those wait- unprecedented criticism of and the crowd and there was lawmakers from a reform- deemed illegal under the
ing for a royal motorcade the monarchy and issued calls no visible violence and none minded political party that state of emergency, as well as
regularly sit on the ground for its reform. Using direct was described by witnesses. was controversially dissolved other laws.

Virologist: Milan surge spreading to at-risk populations

(AP) — Italy has two weeks enced,’’ Galli told The As- all of Italy.” — angering the government
to stop the rising rate of Italian health officials have sociated Press, referring to But he fears that new na- in Rome.
transmission of coronavi- declared that the resurgence the peak in March and April tionwide restrictions adopted
rus or it risks “following of COVID-19 has reached when the surge in infections over the past two weeks — That came after Italy report-
in the footsteps" of Eu- an “acute phase." Massimo resulted in a one-day record including mandatory masks ed a new daily record of con-
ropean neighbors where Galli, the director of infec- of 969 deaths. outdoors, a ban on pick-up firmed virus cases — 8,804
exponential spreads have tious diseases at Milan’s Lu- sports and restaurant clo- — on Thursday, including
ushered back harsh re- igi Sacco hospital, said Italy’s Already in Milan, he said, the sures at midnight — are not more than 2,000 in Lombar-
strictions, a virologist on surge — which hit pandemic number of elderly patients enough. dy and 1,000 in Campania.
the front lines says. highs of new daily infections or those with other risk fac- After hovering around 40 for
this week — is not the result tors is growing, indicating a “If we don’t in 15 days ... days, the death toll surged
of record testing, as policy spread beyond the expansion have an indication of being to 83, one-third of those in
makers have suggested, but seen in late September, when able to control all of the ma- Lombardy.
a sign of a real return among most new positives were jor outbreaks, there won’t be
the population most at risk. among people caught by con- a choice but to enter another Newly confirmed cases have
tact tracing and screenings, phase of limiting activities,’’ also reached record levels in
It only takes a look at Sac- for example people returning Galli said. the Czech Republic, which
co’s COVID-19 ward, a few from vacation. On Friday, the region of also shut schools, and Poland,
steps from Galli's office, to Campania, which includes which has limited restaurant
raise the alarm. “We have a ‘’The trend is already there, Naples and which has been hours and closed gyms and
situation that reminds one and it is frankly alarming,’’ under pressure since early schools. France, meanwhile,
quite distressingly of the one he said, adding that “it is not a September, closed schools has imposed a 9 p.m. curfew
that we already have experi- generalized situation, it is not until the end of the month in Paris and other big cities.