Anutin apologises after P-Move protesters clash with Volunteer Defence Corps at the Interior Ministry, leaving three injured. Protesters demand answers over why the police force did not secure the rally as complaints and a possible investigation loom.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has apologised after a protest at the Interior Ministry on Thursday ended in violence, leaving three P-Move demonstrators injured. The clash followed hours of failed talks over land, housing, legal status and community disputes, while glass was also broken during the disorder. Mr Anutin denied ministers had avoided the protesters, saying official duties kept them away, and ordered Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri to accelerate negotiations. P-Move, however, is demanding investigations into the conduct of Volunteer Defence Corps personnel and the police response, while preparing complaints to parliamentary committees and the National Human Rights Commission. Both sides have exchanged apologies, but the underlying disputes remain unresolved ahead of a new meeting scheduled for August 19.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul apologised on Friday after protesters and Volunteer Defence Corps personnel clashed at the Ministry of Interior the day previously. Three protesters were injured during Thursday’s confrontation, according to the People’s Movement for a Just Society, known as P-Move.
The violence followed hours of failed negotiations over land, housing, legal status and community disputes. Mr Anutin said both sides had since reached an understanding. He also ordered Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri to accelerate work on the unresolved cases.
Mr Anutin addressed the confrontation at Government House at 12.05 pm on August 7. The Prime Minister also serves as Interior Minister, placing the dispute directly within his portfolio.
He said Thursday’s timing created difficulties because senior political officials were absent. All three Deputy Interior Ministers were away from the ministry. At the same time, Mr Anutin was attending events linked to Myanmar President General Min Aung Hlaing’s visit.
Anutin apologises after ministry clash as absent ministers leave protesters without political talks
As a result, no minister was available when protesters demanded political-level negotiations. Mr Anutin said demonstrators later entered the ministry compound and pushed towards the building.
Glass was broken during the confrontation, while several people were injured. He said the events created misunderstandings and apologised for what happened. Still, he rejected suggestions that ministers had deliberately avoided negotiations.
Instead, Mr Anutin said ministers had been occupied with other official duties. He subsequently ordered Mr Songsak to speed up efforts to settle the protesters’ problems. The government remained prepared to listen and explain its position, he said. It would also arrange another meeting if protesters wanted one.
“We must listen and explain. If the protesters want to hold a meeting, we will schedule one. There is nothing we need to avoid,” Mr Anutin said.
Notably, the Prime Minister stressed that Thursday’s failed meeting resulted from ministers being unavailable. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior Pasakorn Boonyalaksam later stepped into the talks.
He met protest representatives after the confrontation had been brought under control. According to Mr Anutin, those discussions produced an understanding between both sides. The Prime Minister then apologised again for the day’s events.
P-Move says three injured after Or Sor clash as five unresolved issues return to government agenda
The apology followed a detailed P-Move statement issued at approximately 10 pm Thursday. The movement reported three injuries following clashes with Volunteer Defence Corps personnel, commonly known as Or Sor.
P-Move said the confrontation developed during efforts to secure action on several unresolved cases. Members of the Movement for the Poor’s Land and Housing Rights also joined the demonstration.
Earlier, the dispute had moved through formal government channels. The Committee for Resolving the Problems of the People’s Movement for a Just Society met on August 4. Mr Songsak chaired that meeting. P-Move submitted a letter seeking Interior Ministry negotiations covering five areas. Mr Songsak then instructed the ministry to arrange further talks for August 6.
The first issue involved public land problems affecting the Movement for the Poor’s Land and Housing Rights. A second concerned personal rights and legal status. Separately, protesters sought action involving the Thap Yang community in Phang Nga Province. The community is located in Thai Mueang Subdistrict and Thai Mueang District. Another case concerned the Tai Dam community in Surat Thani Province. A fifth category covered other unresolved matters.
P-Move protesters arrive for 9 am talks but demand senior political officials with power to decide
Following those instructions, P-Move expected negotiations to begin at 9 am Thursday. Protesters therefore left their camp near the Office of the Civil Service Commission at 6.30 am.
They marched towards the Interior Ministry and joined the land and housing rights movement. Tensions, however, began developing shortly after their arrival.
According to P-Move, volunteer security personnel stopped protesters sitting near vehicles parked on the public road. Representatives then sought negotiations with Chaiwat Duangsodsri, head of the Interior Minister’s office.
P-Move concluded that he lacked authority to make decisions on their demands. The protesters consequently demanded talks with senior political officials.
In particular, P-Move called for Mr Anutin to meet protesters personally as Interior Minister. Demonstrators meanwhile remained on the pavement outside the ministry fence. They refused substantive negotiations with officials they believed could not resolve their cases. The standoff continued through the morning as protesters waited for a senior political representative.
Protesters move inside ministry as stalled talks, remarks and pushing lead to clash and injuries
By afternoon, worsening weather added pressure to the gathering. Rain threatened, prompting protesters to move inside the Interior Ministry compound. They were then told that a Deputy Permanent Secretary would meet them. Yet P-Move said no meeting had taken place by 3.30 pm. Protest leaders then decided to move towards the designated meeting room.
At that point, demonstrators stood and advanced towards an entrance to the ministry building. Volunteer Defence Corps personnel were positioned across the entrance. Their role included maintaining order inside the ministry grounds. They reinforced their position as protesters approached. Pushing and shoving then developed between both groups.
During the confrontation, P-Move said one Or Sor member made remarks about the protesters’ land problems. The movement described the comments as insulting and demeaning. According to its account, the officer said he also faced land problems but used his salary to resolve them. The remark further inflamed the confrontation at the entrance.
Soon afterwards, the pushing developed into a physical clash. P-Move reported that three members were injured. The confrontation also brought the attempted negotiations to a complete halt.
Protesters accused Volunteer Defence Corps personnel of causing their injuries. Mr Anutin’s account, however, also noted that protesters pushed into the ministry. He additionally confirmed that glass was broken.
Talks resume after clash as August 19 meeting is agreed while P-Move seeks investigation of police
In response, security personnel reinforced their position within the compound. The confrontation was eventually brought under control without further reported injuries. Protesters were then informed that Deputy Permanent Secretary Pasakorn Boonyalaksam had arrived. Mr Pasakorn joined negotiations at the protest site at approximately 4.40 pm.
From there, the dispute returned to talks. Both sides exchanged apologies during the discussions. Officials also confirmed another formal meeting would take place on August 19. According to P-Move, Deputy Interior Minister Polavee Suwannachavi will chair that session. The meeting will return to the five areas submitted during the August 4 process.
The agreement resolved the immediate dispute over access to negotiations. It did not, however, close the controversy surrounding Thursday’s confrontation. P-Move said it would seek an investigation into the handling of the demonstration. Its complaints focus on both Volunteer Defence Corps personnel and the police response.
As part of its case, P-Move said it had notified officials about the demonstration beforehand. The movement said it complied with the Public Assembly Act 2015. Despite that, it claimed police officers did not facilitate the march properly. It also said police failed to intervene when the confrontation developed inside the ministry.
P-Move challenges Or Sor crowd control and police conduct while demanding Anutin investigate clash
P-Move further disputed the use of Or Sor personnel for crowd control inside the compound. The movement argued that local police held responsibilities under the Public Assembly Act. It therefore questioned whether police had properly carried out their duties. Those accusations were set out in the movement’s Thursday night statement.
On another front, P-Move criticised the conduct of Volunteer Defence Corps personnel themselves. It argued they were not properly trained to deal with protesters. The movement cited what it described as provocative behaviour during the confrontation. It also questioned their maturity, emotional control and handling of the crowd.
Furthermore, P-Move accused some personnel of failing to restrain colleagues during the clash. The movement said protesters themselves exercised restraint as tensions increased. It argued that more than three people could otherwise have been injured. These claims form part of the investigation now sought by the group.
P-Move directly requested action from Mr Anutin as both Prime Minister and Interior Minister. It noted that Mr Songsak already supervised efforts to resolve the movement’s cases. Mr Songsak had also instructed the Interior Ministry to organise Thursday’s meeting. However, protesters arrived to find no minister available for those talks.
P-Move plans complaints over violence as August 19 talks offer next chance to resolve key disputes
For hours, demonstrators demanded access to officials capable of making decisions. They initially remained outside the ministry before entering the grounds as rain approached. They later moved towards the building after no meeting materialised by 3.30 pm. The confrontation followed at the entrance before negotiations finally began around 4.40 pm.
Against that backdrop, P-Move linked the violence to the breakdown in Thursday’s meeting arrangements. It said the disruption delayed progress on its outstanding cases. The movement also said civilians suffered injuries during action involving Or Sor personnel. It therefore plans to pursue the matter through several official channels.
Specifically, P-Move said complaints would be submitted to Mr Anutin and relevant parliamentary committees. The National Human Rights Commission will also receive a complaint, according to the movement. P-Move wants Thursday’s events investigated and measures considered for future demonstrations. It also intends to continue pressing the Interior Ministry over its underlying demands.
The movement cited constitutional protections and freedom of expression in setting out its position. It also said it would continue following progress on the unresolved cases. Those cases span public land, legal status, housing and individual community disputes. The August 19 meeting will provide the next formal opportunity for negotiations.
Anutin restores talks after ministry clash and orders Songsak to accelerate work before August 19
In parallel, Mr Anutin has moved to restore the government process after Thursday’s breakdown. He acknowledged the injuries and damage caused during the confrontation. He also apologised and confirmed that ministry officials eventually met the protesters. Crucially, he denied that the absence of ministers represented an attempt to avoid them.
Mr Anutin said his own absence resulted from the Myanmar leader’s official visit. Meanwhile, the three Deputy Interior Ministers were also away from the ministry. That left no political officeholder available when protesters demanded immediate negotiations. Mr Pasakorn eventually stepped into the process after the confrontation.
Once talks resumed, the sides exchanged apologies and agreed on the August 19 meeting. Mr Anutin has now ordered Mr Songsak to accelerate work before further negotiations. He also said additional meetings could be arranged whenever protesters sought discussions. “There is nothing we need to avoid,” the Prime Minister said.
Land, status and community disputes remain unresolved as August 19 meeting becomes next key stage
The dispute has therefore moved back from confrontation to formal negotiations. However, several substantive cases remain unresolved. Public land disputes form one part of the agenda. Personal rights and legal status cases form another.
Problems involving communities in Phang Nga and Surat Thani also remain before the ministry.
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At the same time, Thursday’s clash has created a separate dispute over security conduct. P-Move wants the actions of Volunteer Defence Corps personnel investigated. It also wants scrutiny of the police response during the demonstration. Those complaints will proceed alongside negotiations over the movement’s original demands.
The August 19 meeting is now the next scheduled stage. Deputy Interior Minister Polavee Suwannachavi is expected to chair it, according to P-Move. Before then, Mr Songsak has orders from the Prime Minister to accelerate efforts on the cases. Thursday’s immediate standoff has ended, but the underlying disputes remain before the Interior Ministry.
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