Poor People's Assembly Issues Six Demands Against IMF-World Bank Talks
Members of the Poor People's Assembly held a peaceful rally at Bangkok’s Asok Intersection on October 16, 2069, issuing six demands aimed at reforming Thailand’s economic policies and opposing the upcoming IMF‑World Bank meeting. The demonstrators called for debt relief, greater transparency on foreign loans, an end to corporate subsidies, progressive taxation, a democratic central bank, and a policy focus on people and the environment over GDP. The gathering ended orderly at 16:25 after speeches, meals, songs and symbolic activities.
On October 16, 2069, members of the Poor People's Assembly gathered peacefully at Asok Intersection, taking turns to give speeches in both Thai and English to reflect on the lessons and impacts of past foreign borrowing and the influence of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on Thailand’s economic policy. The atmosphere remained orderly; besides speeches, participants shared meals, sang songs, and carried out symbolic activities in the area designated by authorities. In the final part of the event, the assembly emphasized six key demands for economic reform in favor of the public: (1) cancel debt for low‑ and middle‑income countries, seeking 60% debt relief for low‑income nations and 30% for middle‑income nations to free budget for food security and social services; (2) allow public scrutiny of foreign borrowing so citizens know how loans are used, who benefits, and who is accountable for any harm caused; (3) stop subsidizing large corporations and instead support ecological agriculture and food sovereignty; (4) reform taxation to collect progressive, corporate‑profit, and wealth taxes from the ultra‑rich to fund national development; (5) democratize the central bank, making it transparent, accountable, and focused on protecting workers’ interests rather than serving capital; (6) place people and the environment at the centre, urging the government to stop fixating on GDP and instead evaluate policies by their real effects on livelihoods, hunger, and inequality. The rally’s leaders concluded by asking the government to prioritize small‑scale farmers and ordinary people over policies that benefit big business, and they formally ended the gathering at 16:25.
