Thai students continue protests against country's military government

Thai students continue protests against country's military government

Hundreds of university students protested against the government in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, as anger grows towards the establishment.

The college youngsters were joined by disaffected locals expressing their anger at the Thai military government which seized power with a coup in 2014 and held disputed elections in 2019.

The anti-government groups gathered at Ang Keaw hall in Chiang Mai University where they made a three-fingered salute - the adopted sign of the movement - while chanting 'let the dictatorship die and the people win.'

Protest leaders claim to be pushing for greater levels of democracy, which they hope will reduce corrpution and inequality.

Thai pop signer 'Ammy' from The Bottom Blues lead the protesters to sing along and show the three-fingered sign while he was playing the Thai anthem with the guitar.

A series of protests have taken place in recent months in which demonstrators - mainly university students and progressive groups - have called for greater levels of democracy and accountability in the country.

Earlier this month thousands of protesters converged on the Democracy Monument in the capital Bangkok in the largest rally since 2014.

Anger has been growing since March 2019 when controversial elections returned career soldier General Prayut Chan-o-cha to power and saw the progressive Future Forward Party disbanded amid claims that opposition parties were being silenced.

A number of opposition leaders have been arrested in recent months though police so far shown restraint and have avoided any violent crackdowns on the gatherings.

Protests by students and other anti-government groups have been growing but there has yet to be any significant body-blows the military government, which is widely supported in the country.

Prime minister Chan-o-cha has suggested that the unrest is being stoked with the manipulation of social media by disaffected opponents looking to destabilise the country and return to power.