P-Move Protests Interior Ministry Clash: 3 Injured After Militia Insults Landless Group
Protesters from P-Move and the Poor People's Network clash with territorial defense volunteers at the Interior Ministry, leaving 3 injured, demanding Anutin's intervention.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- P-Move and impoverished communities march to the Interior Ministry to press for five key demands on land rights and legal status.
- A physical altercation breaks out after an auxiliary territorial defense volunteer makes insulting remarks about debts, injuring 3 protesters.
- Deputy Permanent Secretary Phasakorn Boonyaluck visits the protesters and schedules a follow-up meeting for August 19.
- P-Move urges Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to investigate the violence and address police dereliction of duty.
Political tensions and grassroots advocacy escalated sharply as the People's Movement for a Just Society (P-Move) and the Poor People's Network for Land and Housing gathered at the Ministry of Interior to track progress on their long-standing grievances. The mobilization followed the first committee meeting of 2026 held on August 4, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Thongsak Thongsri, where the coalition submitted formal demands for dialogue across five primary areas:
- Mechanisms for resolving public land disputes affecting impoverished communities
- Legal status and citizenship rights resolution
- Land dispute settlements for the Thap Yang community in Thai Mueang district, Phang Nga province
- Resolution for the Tai Dam ethnic community in Surat Thani province
- Various other localized community grievances
Following the previous submission, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Interior Ministry to organize a formal follow-up meeting on August 6 starting at 09:00 AM at the ministry headquarters. Consequently, P-Move supporters departed from their encampment site at the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) at 06:30 AM to join forces with the broader network. However, initial tensions flared when territorial defense volunteers prohibited citizens from sitting near vehicles parked on public roads.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Protesters dispatched representatives to negotiate with Chaiwat Duangsodsri, Head of the Interior Minister's Office, only to find that he lacked decision-making authority. The group then demanded that political leadership, specifically Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, step out to negotiate directly, maintaining a rally on the sidewalk outside the ministry's perimeter fences throughout the morning.
As weather conditions darkened toward the afternoon, protesters decided to move entirely inside the Interior Ministry grounds while awaiting the promised arrival of a deputy permanent secretary. As the clock approached 15:30 PM with no confirmation, leaders instructed participants to stand up and walk toward the building's main entrance. Territorial defense volunteers blocked the path, triggering a chaotic confrontation.
“I also have land debt problems, but I use my own salary to solve them.”
Territorial Defense Volunteer (Official)
This provocative statement, uttered by a territorial defense volunteer blocking the entrance, deeply insulted the struggling community members and immediately ignited a physical brawl. The scuffle resulted in injuries to three protesters before group leaders managed to de-escalate and restore order among the participants.
This confrontation outside the Ministry of Interior highlights structural gaps in managing state-civilian disputes in Thailand. Utilizing territorial defense volunteers—personnel typically trained for domestic security and regional defense—to manage crowd control or political protests poses significant risks. International standards and domestic laws generally require specialized police forces trained in public assembly management to handle demonstrations. The absence of proper crowd control protocols creates a volatile environment where verbal provocations can easily spiral into physical violence, underscoring the urgent need for professionalized security management during civic demonstrations.
After calm was restored at approximately 16:40 PM, Deputy Permanent Secretary Phasakorn Boonyaluck arrived to meet with negotiation teams inside the protest area. Both sides exchanged apologies, and officials committed to holding an official resolution meeting on August 19, chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Pholvhee Suwanachawi.
Source: Matichon Politics
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