Led by student activist Parit Chaiwarak, student and labour unions join forces at the Government House on Thursday to demand an end to the State of Emergency (SOE) and call for a blanket aid program accessible to everyone.
They believe that the extension of the SOE aims at limiting the liberty and rights of the people and to control dissenting voices.
They also said that labourers, formal and informal, in agriculture should have equal access to government aid by having a blanket aid program for all.
The government measures affected many labourers, resulting in unemployment – specifically, those in the informal sector and the labourers who work night shifts.
The students claim that the extension of the SOE is a cold-blooded measure to maintain power at the expense of the people.
With the situation of the outbreak improving, there is no longer a need for extending the SOE, according to both unions.
Instead, they said alternative laws could be used to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Currently, the SOE has been extended to the end of June with curfew hours between 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The cabinet will discuss on Friday whether there will be changes to the curfew.