BANGKOK — Nearly one hundred police officers barricaded a police station today to prevent pro-democracy activists from filing a legal complaint against officers who they say abused them during a crackdown on their rally last month.

The seven activists had been ordered to surrender at Pathumwan Police Station for violating the junta's ban on protests by leading the anti-coup rally in Bangkok on 22 May – the first anniversary of the 2014 coup d'etat. Police forcefully broke up the peaceful demonstration and arrested more than 30 people that night.

Last night, the activists announced that they would visit Pathumwan Police Station at 1 pm today, not to surrender, but to file charges against two army officers and one police officer who reportedly used excessive violence when they broke up the rally.

Police responded to the announcement by blocking the roads to the station with nearly 100 officers, preventing the seven activists and their supporters from reaching the station and filing the charges. A standoff between police and dozens of anti-coup protesters ensued for at least several hours, with the activists taking turns giving speeches through a loudspeaker. 

Police officers block student activists from filing a complaint at Pathumwan Police Station in Bangkok, 24 June 2015.

The group was joined by pro-democracy activists from Khon Kaen province who have also refused to surrender to authorities after being charged with violating the junta’s protest ban. The Khon Kaen activists, who are leading members of a social justice group called Dao Din, said they arrived in the capital city today to show their moral support.

At the time of writing, police have not arrested any of the activists gathered oustide the station. 

Of the nine activists charged in connection with the 22 May rally in Bangkok, one person voluntarily reported to police earlier this week, and another was arrested from a hospital where she was staying this morning.

The 21-year-old activist who was arrested today, Nachacha Kongudom, was taken to martial court where prosecutors formally charged her and requested that she be jailed at Bangkok Remand Prison while the trial proceeds.

Officials said Nachacha, who is a transgender woman, would have been remanded at a special section in the all-male prison if she was not released on bail. 

However, Nachacha's lawyer successfully asked the court to grant her release, on the condition that she does not engage in any political activities. She was scheduled to be released at around 8 pm tonight. 

Students from Khon Kaen University joined the rally outside of Pathumwan Police Station, 24 June 2015.

Earlier today, three other student activists were briefly detained for laying flowers at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument in commemoration of the 83rd anniversary of the revolution that established parliamentary democracy in Thailand.

Speaking at a press conference today, Deputy Prime Minister Wisanu Krue-ngam acknowledged that the revolution failed to to turn Thailand into a full-fledged democratic country.

"In the past 83 years, we have seen a lot of political changes,” he said. “There have been 60 governments, 22 [successful and attempted] coups, 29 Prime Ministers, and 19 Constitutions. … Even though a lot of time has passed, right now we have not seen a full-scale democracy."

Asked to comment on what full-scale democracy entails, Wisanu explained, "A full-scale democracy doesn't mean a democracy with international standards, but it means a system in which people are conscious about their rights, duties, responsibilities, and political culture. These are important matters. Let me give you an example: a tree imported from Japan cannot grow beautifully in Thailand because the climate and soil are different. It convinces me that a political system, no matter what system, will not produce same result everywhere."

He concluded, "We have to look at Japan, why they have democracy. The answer is that they have discipline and [good] political culture. So don't only talk about parliament or elections." 

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BANGKOK — Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha lashed out at the press today, accusing reporters of being paid to criticize his government, and warning that the country is on the brink of collapse.

Gen. Prayuth, who is known for his long-winded and often irritated asides during speeches and press conferences, delivered the tirade at an air force base following his return from a state visit to Myanmar today.

The following is an excerpt from the encounter:

Prayuth: I try to do everything in the best way I can. I am responsible for all problems at this time, no matter what. I will do my best. Today may not be good, but tomorrow will be good. Or do you want things to be good today but face bankruptcy in the future? You have to choose, I guess. You can spend all of your money and get yourself in debt. Eventually you will be bankrupt. It depends on everyone. If you want the country to be peaceful, you have to think things through again.

I am never an enemy of reporters, but these days you still write and attack me everyday. Every paper attacks me. I’m too lazy to speak about this. I have done so much, but no one writes about what I have done. Or when they do, they write so little. But they pay so much attention to the conflicts. There are many conflicts right now. Politics is bad. The climate is bad. Farmers don’t get paid. People are calling for a wage raise. Let me ask you: can you write and help the country be peaceful?

Everyone knows that the problems in this country are global problems. But the media never backs off an inch on these issues. When I speak, you say I try to cover up the truth. Everyone knows about this. You have to help me think, and allow for time to solve the problems, so that there will be sustainability. All the problems have been here for decades, because the structure was not there, and no one fixed it. Today, we will begin by fixing the structures: agriculture, water, infrastructure, laws. We are working to fix everything, but the media keeps writing that I have not done any work at all, that I haven’t passed any reforms at all. I am sad, too. I am sad to be born in this country.

Today we have to change the way Thai people think. It’s not as if I don’t feel pity. What I do these days, it is because I pity the poor. I pity those who earn little. I’m well aware of how they suffer. If I didn’t pity the poor, I wouldn’t be here. Really. There would be no reason for me to stay … Every country that I visit, they are all developed. No one talks about conflicts. Every country wants to end the conflicts. It’s only our country that tries to dig it up, this issue, that issue. And then you say that we are suppressing you. If I really suppressed you, things wouldn’t be like this. I wouldn’t be in bad mood like this. If I were to suppress you, I would have suppressed it all. But I didn’t do it. So, you should have some consideration for me. Yet you have none. You write what you want to write. You insult the people you want to insult.

Many of you didn’t elect me, that’s true, no one has elected me. It’s me who came to this place on my own. Maybe I am here for personal gain? I don’t know. The media keeps writing that I have a personal stake in this, I have a personal stake in that. I am here to solve problems for all Thais. But today you divide people into factions. Many people have lost their heart in working. Bureaucrats are also having bad time, because I have to be strict with them, but at the same time they are attacked [by media]. So they don’t know what to do. There are many good bureaucrats, over 90 percent are good. They feel disheartened. The Cabinet also doesn’t know for whom they will work. We are not seeking any personal gain at all, but we keep getting insulted everyday. You never give us support. I want to ask you: who will [want to] work for you? What do you want from me? I’m bored. I don’t want to complain.

Today, I can think about things on my own. Whether about [legalizing] casinos or other issues. If the media wants to criticize me, I ask you to criticize politicians who comment about these things sometimes. Do you dare to do that? Go ask them, why they comment on these issues. What is reform? Ask them sometimes. Especially those former Ministers, ask them how they want the reforms to be. Don’t only chase me with questions everyday like this. I tell you everyday, I do things for you everyday, but you won’t listen, or you listen but pretend you didn’t listen. You keep asking questions because you want to pick a fight. I am not angry at you, reporters, because I know that you were ordered to do this. If you write well, they won’t publish your stories. If you write badly, you will get paid. Otherwise, they wouldn’t pay you. Everyone knows this. Editors. Rewriters. They have to screen the news. If you write well, they won’t publish it.

[Some reporters say that they are not ordered to do such a thing.]

Prayuth: [raises voice] I don’t know! I don’t know how you receive [the orders]. But I guess you are all rich. Well, keep writing. Soon this country will just collapse. And then, you won’t have salaries anymore. The entire country won’t have any money. It’s up to you. Foreign countries are ready to invest and move forward. They ask me about everything: So what’s Thailand going to do, in tourism, transportation, and other issues. It’s only Thailand who keeps talking nonsense. No point at all. You will just create more conflict. I don’t know who you want to win. I don’t know. Have you ever thought: if I fail in this, what will happen to the country? Or do you think, to hell with it? The next government will do it anyway. We will be stuck like this.

I want to say to all of you: think again. I am not accusing anyone of anything, but I think it’s time to change your behavior and thoughts. Think of poor people. When will the rain come, when will the flood come, and how will we solve problems? I am thinking with them, but you bring in superfluous problems from above with below. In the end, we cannot fix anything. You have disrupted and brought down the whole system. It doesn’t matter how many reforms or coups there are. There’s no point. Things will be the same. This is the homework that I want all of you to think about.

BANGKOK – Speaking on the 83rd anniversary of the founding of democracy in Thailand, the deputy chairman of the ruling military junta said he does not believe the military is responsible for stunting the growth of democratic rule.

"That's not true. Who would do that?" Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan said when a reporter asked him today whether he agreed with the assessment. "Throughout those years, the military never did such a thing. Instead, we are the ones who have protected the lives and property of the people, and built happiness and order in the country.”

Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who also serves as Minister of Defense, made the comment on the anniversary of the 1932 revolution that replaced Thailand's absolute monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.

However, the revolution failed to turn Thailand into a full-fledged democratic country as hoped for by some of the revolutionaries. Over the past 83 years, Thailand has seen 12 successful military coups and 19 constitutions, with the government alternating between quasi-democratic regimes and military dictatorships.

The most recent coup toppled a democratic government on 22 May 2014. The coup makers said the takeover was necessary to restore order after six months of mass street protests, in which nearly 30 people died in politically-motivated attacks.

"Right now, the government is working on a new constitution," Gen. Prawit said today. "This whole situation was caused by conflicts. If there were no conflicts, and if the country was peaceful and orderly, there wouldn’t have been a problem. But whenever there are conflicts, we have to save the lives of majority of people, and protect the image of the country, in order to prevent the country from being damaged any further."

Since seizing power, the current junta – known officially as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – has continued to rule over Thailand with an iron grip. The military has retained a ban on all public protests and political activities, routinely interfered with the media, and sent scores of civilians to face trial in military courts. Junta chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has power to unilaterally issue any legally-binding order, has also granted security officers the authority to detain individuals, search properties, and censor the media without court warrants.

Just this morning, police arrested four student activists for participating in political activities in Bangkok. The first three students were briefly detained after they attempted to lay a bouquet of flower at Democracy Monument to commemorate the 1932 revolution, and the fourth student was separately arrested for joining a peaceful pro-democracy protest last month. 

However, Gen. Prawit told reporters today that Gen. Prayuth is in fact man of "democratic thoughts."

"He doesn't use any dictatorial power," Gen. Prawit said. "In fact, he defends human rights. Today, everything is going forward as in the road map that he has announced to the people."

Gen. Prayuth, who has repeatedly extended his "roadmap" to a return to democratic rule, now says a national election will be held in September 2016 at the earliest – given that the new constitution, which is being drafted under the junta's oversight, is approved in an upcoming referendum. 

"Right now, the government is trying to do everything [for the people], but the media never writes about what the government has done," Gen. Prawit said today. "All you do is attack us. You have written and accused the government of so many damaging things, even though I have never damaged anything." 

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