A civil court blocked a government decree meant to silence the opposition, but did not ban the use of rubber bullets by law enforcement against protesters. Many Thais are uneasy about the economic situation. According to experts, there will be one million more unemployed by the end of the year.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – After a day marked by a new showdown between police and anti-government protesters in key areas of the capital, Thailand’s opposition won a small victory today and suffered a partial defeat.
A court blocked a decree issued on July 29 giving prime minister and former general Prayut Chan-ocha the power to outlaw news reporting that could cause fear and undermine the country’ stability.
The decree was aimed at supressing criticism of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the slow rollout of its vaccination campaign, as well as the situation on Phuket Island, which the authorities had declared "Covid-free" and reopened to tourism without imposing a quarantine.
In another ruling, the civil court dismissed a motion from human rights lawyers to ban the use of rubber by police, but ordered law enforcement to “exercise caution” when performing crowd control duties.
Yet, neither the use of rubber bullets and tear gas, nor the ban on gatherings and internet censorship stopped yesterday's street protests in Bangkok, during which at least six officers were hurt and two police booths set on fire.
Meanwhile, the protest movement seems to be growing stronger. The arrest of an opposition leader yesterday sparked opposition. Anger against the military and the monarchy’s lack of transparency began last year.
Many Thais are increasingly uneasy about the country’s poor economic performance and dismal employment prospects.
Today, the Thailand Development Research Institute announced that the country will likely have one million new unemployed by the end of the year. Several other sources also recently reported that GDP growth will be close to zero this year.