Earlier today this report came in from The Nation:

“A pro-democracy group Wednesday threatened to organise a mass protest on December 10 demanding the government to call a general election within 90 days.

“Chanapat na Nakhon, chairman of Democracy Lover Network said that labourers from Bangkok, farmers from ten northeast provinces, five southern provinces and six northern province totalling 30,000 people will join the protest at the Democracy Monument.”

This is what the murmurings have been about for some time. People have been mulling over the possibility of the masses coming to Bangkok, and on the surface it looks as if it may happen, although I am skeptical that 30,000 people will turn up, and the report says that this is just a “threat.” Whenever there has been a protest since September 19, the expected number of attendees has always fallen well short of the actual number, but could things be about to change?

“We are purely democracy lovers and we want to restore democracy to the country,” said Chanapat na Nakhon, again in The Nation.

The group are not entirely pro-Thaksin, although you can’t escape the fact that at least some of them are. They are essentially a group of smaller anti-coup factions. They have different ideologies and so I don’t have much faith in them cooperating for a prolonged stretch of time.

The mass protest by up to 3,000 taxi drivers at the end of last week, as covered by Bangkok Pundit, may be a signifier that discontent under the surface is starting to bubble over. The most recent anti-coup demonstration drew around 500 people, and the overall feeling was that these people are not afraid of the military. Likewise, however, the military is at least putting on a brave face:

From the Bangkok Post today: “Political gatherings after the partial lifting of martial law — including a huge rally planned by anti-coup protesters on December 10 — pose no concern for the interim government, Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtat said today.

“The weekly Cabinet Tuesday resolved to lift martial law in Bangkok and 40 other provinces, including the capital's immediate neighbours. The resolution will take effect after royal endorsement is granted.

“Gen Boonrawd said the government had not made major plans to deal with the rally, as it believes the rally would be held in a peaceful manner.

“‘Once the government decided to lift martial law,’ Gen Boonrawd said, ‘it is brave enough to encounter any consequences that follow.’”

If 30,000 people gather, then I think some major plans to deal with the rally might be necessary. 500 people around Democracy Monument made for quite a congregation; 30,000 will be something entirely different, especially as these aren’t likely to be 30,000 students and academics.

Techno’ tags: Coup, Protest, Martial Law, Bangkok, Thailand