Dialogue vital to find peaceWith the declaration of the state of emergency, the confrontation between Prayut Chan-o-cha and the anti-dictatorship activists has overwhelmingly intensified, and once again the country has plunged into division. The Prayut government needs to handle the situation carefully, or the confrontation may well turn violent. After all, they must bear in mind that the Oct 14 rally was peaceful and the protest leaders were unarmed. On the contrary, it's the state authorities that acted in a suspicious way when many people, wearing yellow shirts branding themselves as royalists, infiltrated the crowds. This decree, which stipulates the special powers of state authorities, ie five-day detention, infringes upon people's rights and freedoms, a condition that will fuel anger -- and contention will surge.

Source: Bangkok Post October 15, 2020 23:15 UTC