Volunteers of Mik Luang Rim Nam and Fire Ram Thung groups shout slogans during protest against the visit of Myanmar's military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing for BIMSTEC conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, April, 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Thai citizens staged protests in Bangkok against the arrival of military council leader Min Aung Hlaing, who was attending the BIMSTEC leaders’ summit on April 4. According to Thai media reports, members of the Moke Luang Rim Nam and Fire Lam Thung groups gathered in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center to demonstrate against Min Aung Hlaing’s presence in the country. The protesters expressed their opposition to the military council’s ongoing violence against Myanmar civilians and demanded accountability for human rights violations.
During the protest, Thai citizens called for an end to the violence against Myanmar people and demanded that Min Aung Hlaing be sent to the International Criminal Court. They urged the Thai government not to recognize the military council and to stand with the people of Myanmar. Protesters held signs supporting Myanmar’s civilians and chanted slogans demanding justice and democracy. The demonstration highlighted the solidarity between Thai citizens and the Myanmar people in their struggle against military oppression.
In a related incident, a Thai university student who protested at the Shangri-La Hotel, where the BIMSTEC meeting was being held, was detained by Thai police but was later released without charges. The student had been calling for an end to the violence in Myanmar and urging authorities not to recognize the military council. Thai authorities handled the peaceful protest with understanding, demonstrating a measured response to the expression of solidarity with Myanmar’s democratic movement. The incident reflects growing regional concern over the situation in Myanmar and increasing public opposition to the military council’s actions against civilians.
