Activists Throw 'Birthday Party' To Mark Constitution Day

[Lite Beer]

Activists Throw 'Birthday Party' To Mark Constitution Day

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — Anti-coup activists organised a roadside "birthday party" to celebrate Thailand’s national Constitution Day amid tight security in Bangkok yesterday.

The "party" consisted of a dozen activists sitting, drinking, and eating northeastern Thai cuisine on a traditional mat laid on the pavement across from Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, while dozens of security officers stood guard nearby. A police officer said at least "one company" of uniformed and plain-clothed police was deployed to "maintain peace and order" in the area.

The activists were led by Payao Akhard, the mother of a volunteer medic who was killed in the 2010 military crackdown on Redshirts, and Pansak Srithep, whose 14-year-old son also died in the crackdown.

Payao billed the event as a birthday celebration for her late daughter, Kamolkate Akhard, aka Nurse Kate, presumably in an effort to circumvent the military junta's ban on political activities.

"Kate was born on 7 December, but in the past, when she was still alive, our family always celebrated her birthday on 10 December," Payao explained.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1418281751

-- Khaosod English 2014-12-11

[Toknarok]

Police and Army overkill as usual. Pathetic.

[ThePlant]

Two units of police needed for a small peaceful gathering of people coming to terms with a personal tragedy. Vile.

[greenchair]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

[slapout]

More nonsense. If you want to honor your daughters/sons birth, death, gender change or whatever do so in the privicy of home or family. A public thourghafare and a press conference indidicate you are another rabel rouser and are looking for personal gain/notoriety and abslutly nothing to do with the deceased. I have been to many parties honor ritual for deceased and everyone has had a photo on display. where are the photos????

[tbthailand]

And they gave the largest piece of cake to the security officers.

Several different news stories around this day - the mother of the slain nurse was taken in by the police Wednesday morning for distributing flyers and holding a symbolic activity for the death of her daughter and others.

The nurse was in the temple when she was shot by the military on May 19th

Last week in that 2 hour meeting with the print media, the 'PM' apparently said that the photo images used during the court case (in which the courts ruled that the military shot the people) were actually intentionally posed photographs. The implication that the photos are fake would mesh with the 'PM's assertion in August that no military personnel reported killing anyone.

[dcutman]

deleted

Edited December 11, 2014 by dcutman

[tbthailand]

More nonsense. If you want to honor your daughters/sons birth, death, gender change or whatever do so in the privicy of home or family. A public thourghafare and a press conference indidicate you are another rabel rouser and are looking for personal gain/notoriety and abslutly nothing to do with the deceased. I have been to many parties honor ritual for deceased and everyone has had a photo on display. where are the photos????

it wouldn't hurt to have some sympathy for people who had their children killed. Whadda grinch.

[chotthee]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

[Expat Girl]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

Its a party, get a grip on yourself

[NCFC]

Was anybody wearing a g-string?

[chotthee]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

Its a party, get a grip on yourself

A party. Yes, a political party.

Didn't you know that political party is now ban in Thailand?

[Anthony5]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

Didn't you conveniently forgot to add the word political before gathering?

[kaobang]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

Its a party, get a grip on yourself

A party. Yes, a political party.

Didn't you know that political party is now ban in Thailand?

you are an idiot.thats a party to honour dead family members

[kaobang]

More nonsense. If you want to honor your daughters/sons birth, death, gender change or whatever do so in the privicy of home or family. A public thourghafare and a press conference indidicate you are another rabel rouser and are looking for personal gain/notoriety and abslutly nothing to do with the deceased. I have been to many parties honor ritual for deceased and everyone has had a photo on display. where are the photos????

how do you know?you never had your daughter/son deceased

[englishoak]

Good on them. They are doing nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong? Where have been been since May 22?

Gathering of more than 4 people is a crime, as stated in the law, and punishable by the military court.

Its a party, get a grip on yourself

A party. Yes, a political party.

Didn't you know that political party is now ban in Thailand?

Just as well it was a birthday party.

Another 3 activists would have meant it constituted a full scale revolution.

Edited December 11, 2014 by englishoak

[whybother]

Why are people so shocked that police turned up to a political event in the middle of Democracy Monument during martial law. And don't say "But it was just a birthday party" because everyone knows it was a political event.

I don't have an issue with them having the party, but they would have known that the police would turn up.

[Ricardo]

Interesting how certain recently-joined posters jump to turn an 'innocent birthday-party' into a political event, and use it to smear the security forces or government ?

Yet even Khaosod does describe the attendees as "Anti-coup activists".

It was to be expected, that the police would be present at the Democracy monument, but equally they did permit the party to proceed, surely that's a balanced reaction ?

Particularly given that the nurse was performing her professional duty to help people, when she herself was killed, and that she deserves to be honoured and remembered for that.

R.I.P.

[mikemac]

Police and Army overkill as usual. Pathetic.

Overkill ? The Police and whatever military officers were there allowed the people to have their party and even shared cake with them.

"After releasing 20 white balloons to mark the occasion, the activists dispersed peacefully without any incident."

Your comment is a bit over the top to say the least, but then any excuse to post anti-government trash talk will do.