A huge roadside billboard, calling for the liberation of Palestine, was erected on top of a building at the expressway exit on Sathupradit Road in Bangkok’s Yan Nawa district last week, by a group of Thai Muslims supporting the Palestinian cause.
The billboard featured the Palestine flag and the text “Free Palestine.”
It was reported that Thai officials, including Special Branch police, approached the owner of the building, asking him to remove the billboard, claiming that it may harm relations between Thailand and Israel.
The request was, however, rejected outright, prompting public works officials to intervene, with a stern warning to the owner of the building that legal action will be taken if the billboard is not removed by Saturday.
Latest reports say that the billboard in question has been removed and replaced with a new one, offering the space for rent.
Political activist Mr. Veera Somkwamkid, however, said that the billboard calling for the liberation of Palestine is free expression and within the scope of the Thai law and, more importantly, an expression of human rights for the Palestinian people.
