Pro-monarchy groups clash with Myanmar protesters

PRO-MONARCHY groups clashed with some Myanmar workers led by a Thai activist who had gathered in front of the UN building in Bangkok to protest the participation of Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the 6th Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) summit held here on Thursday and Friday (Apr. 3-4), Naewna newspaper said this evening (Apr. 5).

Mr. Wira Saengthong, a member of the Bright Future group, had arranged for Myanmar workers to wear black clothes and protest inviting the Myanmar military strongman to this summit at 10 a.m. today.

However Mr. Anon Klinkaew, leader of People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy, backed by another pro-monarchy group and a vocational students group, brought followers to the same site together with a pickup truck mounted with loudspeakers to block this protest because in their opinion they are not Thais and had no right to demonstrate.

A number of police officers were also there to maintain peace.

At 10.45 a.m. there was a scuffle with the pro-monarchy members attempting to assault Wira, the protest organiser. Police quickly protected him and took him and the Myanmar workers out of the area for their safety.

The pro-democracy groups then continued their event in front of the UN building.

However Wira and the Myanmar workers later moved to the front of the Myanmar embassy where they staged another protest demanding the expulsion of Min Aung Hlaing without any violence taking place.

Wira is an activist who has been pushing for democracy in Myanmar since the coup in 2021 that sparked a civil war which continues to this day.

CAPTION:

The scuffle between followers of pro-monarchy groups and Thai-led Myanmar protesters in front of the UN building. Photos: Khai Maew Cheese and Pod Nathaphob and published by Naewna