The activist group “Khon Kaen’s Had Enough” (ขอนแก่นพอกันที) published a letter from the Superintendent of Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station to the Khon Kaen city mayor stating that they received a complaint about recent protests in the city from a citizen who also petitioned to have the local Democracy Monument moved elsewhere.

Khon Kaen Democracy Monument

The letter stated that Khon Kaen Police Station received a phone call from Amphon Trirak, a resident in the Khon Kaen city pillar shrine area, saying that she was annoyed by the noise from the anti-government protests between 22 – 24 August and was petitioning the police to ask the protest organisers to take their next gathering elsewhere, since the city pillar shrine is a sacred place.

The letter also stated that Amphon has also filed a complaint with the Khon Kaen Municipal Office and discussed with the relevant agencies to consider whether the Khon Kaen Democracy Monument, which is located near the city pillar shrine, should be moved elsewhere.   

Col Preechai Kengsarikij, Superintendent of Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station, told Khaosod English that the next steps are still under discussion and that the document shows that the police accepted Amphon’s complaint.

Khon Kaen’s Had Enough posted on their Facebook page that “if the protests are so annoying that the monument has to be moved elsewhere, then in the future the Khao Niao Road Festival or New Year Festival will probably not be allowed.”

“We insist that the Khon Kaen Democracy Monument is the people’s space, and we will absolutely protect it from being destroyed, relocated, changed, or disappeared,” said the group.

The Khon Kaen Democracy Monument has often been used as a protest site. It is one of the local Democracy Monuments scattered across the country which are relics of the People’s Party, marking the Siamese Revolution in 1932 which ended absolute monarchy in Siam.