Thai police blocked about 600 demonstrators from reaching the venue of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group meetings in Bangkok on Thursday morning.
The protesters, representing the People’s Network Against the World Bank and IMF, gathered at an intersection near the Customs Department at 8am before marching along Sunthorn Kosa Road to the Na Ranong intersection.
They then turned towards the Rama IV intersection near the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, where the meetings were being held, but encountered police officers carrying batons who prevented them from proceeding along Ratchadaphisek Road.
A section of Ratchadaphisek Road in front of the convention centre was closed to traffic.
Following negotiations with police, the demonstrators agreed to withdraw to a designated location nearby.
Protesters oppose IMF and World Bank policies
Rally representative Supaporn Malailoy, 50, said the group planned to remain at the location until Friday night to monitor the meetings and voice its opposition to IMF and World Bank policies.
The demonstrators argued that the institutions’ policies favoured large businesses and projects such as the Eastern Economic Corridor.
They also accused the Thai government of allowing foreign investment to damage the environment and increase public debt.
Protest leaders said development projects and economic policies backed by the institutions had harmed local communities and people’s livelihoods.
The group planned to follow the proceedings throughout the day and engage with meeting participants to convey its concerns, Supaporn said.
Protesters accuse police of violating rights
A brief scuffle occurred when demonstrators attempted to hang banners on a pedestrian bridge.
Pranom Somwong, a legal representative of the group, said a police officer known as Manun had agreed to let the protesters display a banner.
‘However, just as we were about to put it up, police climbed onto the pedestrian overpass to stop them, kicking, grabbing, dragging and pulling them away from the banner despite the prior agreement and their pledge to hold a peaceful protest,’ she said.
Pranom said the demonstrators were exercising their rights under Section 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
‘The police action therefore constituted a violation of the Constitution,’ she said.
She added that the group had no intention of disrupting the IMF meetings and wanted to convey the perspectives of people affected by them.
‘We wanted to convey the perspectives of people affected by the meeting,’ Pranom said.
