Thailand feminists protest at Democrat party HQ, demand justice in ‘#MeToo’ scandal

Thai feminist groups banded together this morning to stage a protest in front of Democrat party headquarters, in the wake of a slew of sexual assault allegations against the party’s former deputy leader, Prinn Panitchpakdi.

On Sunday, Bangkok’s South Criminal Court detained Prinn for 3 counts of sexual assault and harassment, before temporarily releasing him on bail, on the condition that he wouldn’t leave the country.

During today’s protest, women danced to the the feminist anthem “Sida Lui Faai” — i.e. “Sida Through Fire” — a reference to how victims of sexual abuse in Thailand are often blamed by the powers that be for the abuse that happens to them.

They also read aloud a prepared statement, grilling the former party leader for inferring that sexual abuse is a “personal matter”. This, they say, is a way of deflecting blame from himself and onto his…