Thai prime minister discourages protests in name of COVID

Activists find selves in tight spot: Do they cancel events and risk looking weak?

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Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha addresses the nation in a televised speech on Thursday. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)

MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writer

BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is citing the global resurgence of the coronavirus to discourage protesters from attending pro-democracy rallies scheduled for the days ahead, though his argument does not take into account Thailand's own success at keeping COVID-19 at bay.

"With the resurgence of the virus around the world," the prime minister said in a televised address on Thursday. "I would now like to ask everyone to double up their alertness and not to relax and let down their guard."

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