BANGKOK — A replica of a plaque commemorating a democratic revolt installed on Sunday at Sanam Luang by leaders of an anti-government protest went missing as of Monday.
The plaque appeared to be removed some time after 10pm, when Sanam Luang was closed off from the public, and before 5am, when the gates reopened. It is unclear who ordered the removal; city workers interviewed at the scene said they had no knowledge of the operation.
“At the dawn of Sept. 20, here is where the people proclaim that this country belongs to the people,” read part of the inscription on the disc.
The plaque commemorated the 1932 revolution that toppled absolute monarchy, and was a successor to the original plaque that was mysteriously ripped and stolen from its home on the Royal Plaza in 2017. No one ever claimed responsibility for its disappearance, and the media were discouraged from investigating.
The removal of the new plaque may not come as a surprise to many protesters, however. Police officials on Sunday said they considered the plaque illegal, since it was placed there without permission from the authorities.
