Thai royalists submit petition to oust Amnesty International

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai royalists have stepped up their campaign to drive out the country’s branch of rights group Amnesty International, handing over copies of a petition to government ministries that they say is backed by more than a million signatures. About 200 protesters gathered opposite Government House in Bangkok. Representatives from the Labor Ministry and the National Security Council accepted envelopes containing their demands. The activists say Amnesty International is a threat to the country’s peace and security because it criticized a court ruling that said calls to reform the country’s constitutional monarchy are illegal. The monarchy is revered by many Thais and its reputation is fiercely guarded by the country’s ruling elite, including the courts and the military.