THE COPY of Khana Rasadorn plaque installed by demonstrators at Sanam Luang this morning (Sept. 20) will likely be removed by the Bangkok Metropolis Administration which together with the Education Ministry is in charge of this issue, Thai Rath newspaper quoted two senior police officers as saying this afternoon.
This plaque is similar to the one installed by Khana Rasadorn at the Royal Plaza in 1932 after the revolution they mounted had ended absolute monarchy and brought in constitutional monarchy.
However Khana Rasadorn’s plaque disappeared in April 2017 and was replaced with an ultraroyalist plaque.
Pol. Maj. Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy head of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and Pol. Col. Krisana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said at a press conference that the placing of this plaque could be taken as an offense because this is an historical site.
Pol. Col. Krisana said Pol. Lt. Gen. Phakphong Phongphetra, head of the Metropolitan Police, had received the letter of demands from the protesters as the commander of the situation and not as a representative of the Office of the Privy Council.
He will handle the letter according to the administrative procedure and do so as quickly as possible.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya said police will reopen the Sanam Luang area to traffic and remove the barbed wire barriers no later than this evening. They have to first facilitate the return of the demonstrators.
The two police officers also mentioned that the protesters broke various laws with the first being leaving Thammasat University campus and assembling at Sanam Luang without permission, second once there staying and preventing the opening of the ground for public service.
Thirdly, the plaque installed at Sanam Luang is something extra and not something that should be there.
He added that a team of 40 policemen had also recorded all the speeches made during the protest as evidence for considering with the legal department whether any wrongdoing had occurred
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Top: One of the demonstrators taking a photo with the plaque. Photo: Thai Rath
